


Son of Yggdrasil

by Ikajo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Eventual Romance, Gen, Grief/Mourning, High School, Loki & Tony Stark Friendship, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Parent Natasha Romanov, Parent Tony Stark, Reincarnation, Team as Family, Thor (Marvel) is Not Stupid, young loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 15:00:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 37
Words: 55,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18284651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ikajo/pseuds/Ikajo
Summary: The Trickster was executed wrongly and brought the Norns to intervene with his fate. At Avengers Tower an unexpected guest arrives and not as they remembered him. For Steve this is the beginning of heartache and longing.





	1. Chapter 1

During his long life Forsetti had seen many things. Much of it gruesome and violent. As a man aiming at justice he didn't approve of death penalties. It was messy and there was always a possibility that the convicted would turn out to be innocent. Which was why Odin had given him the task of investigating the attack on Midgard lead by Prince Loki. More precisely, what had become of him after he fell from the Bifrost. So, the god of justice had sent out an inquiry regarding the young prince - without revealing the reason - and got a surprisingly swift answer from a group who called themselves the Guardians of the galaxy. One of them had intimate knowledge of what had happened and possessed data. Never in his life had Forsetti read something so heartbreaking and horrible. 

A long, detailed list of every torture Loki had been put through prior to arriving on Midgard. Care had been taken so he would heal without mark, which made the whole thing worse. He barely managed to read the first page and a quick look showed much of the same, increasing in intensity. Loki had resisted. Refused cooperation until he had been broken so profusely that he no longer remained himself. The madness Thor had witnessed was due to this.

A small chime came from the miniature replica of the courtyard bell tower. Forsetti felt dread spread through his body. He got to his feet and rushed out from his study, running hurriedly. The empty corridors did nothing to calm him down. Pushing through the crowd he was getting more and more agitated. Then he stumbled away from the crowd and the sight made him sick. Prince Loki was strapped to a slab, blood running down his naked chest. Standing over him was a man, holding his crushed heart. The man was someone who shouldn't have been there. Suttung, the traitor. Centuries prior he had been banished after his plot to steal the throne had been uncovered. The one who had exposed him was Loki. Loki who obviously was already dead.

Forsetti glanced at the crowd, at the king. They had empty expressions and didn't show any reactions. An enchantment then. He truly hoped that was the only reason Odin had suddenly changed his mind about trying to save his youngest son. Drawing his sword the god of justice approached the traitor. Suttung didn't notice him, gloating in his actions. With one swift strike the sword impaled him, piercing the man's heart, killing him. A ripple went through the crowd as the traitor's corpse fell to the ground. It was dead silence for a moment then a wail tore across the courtyard. 

Odin staggered towards his youngest child, Gungnir slipping from his hands. Tears streamed down his ancient cheeks, trembling hands reached out and touched the pale skin. Loki's body was a testimony of the torment of his last moments. A crude piece of hot iron had been pressed to his face, sealing his mouth. It was still fused to the skin. His chest had been cracked open, his heart removed. Forsetti was certain the boy had been alive up until Suttung crushed his heart, moments of horrible pain.

The All-Father was crying as he released the body and held his child to his chest. Further away stood the Queen and the crown prince, both wearing a stricken expression. All around the people began to realise what had happened. It was sickening to see that several didn't mourn the Trickster's passing. Some even had pleased expressions. Glaring at them Forsetti approached the King.

"My liege", he said. "I had received information about the missing time. It was... bad. Really bad. His Highness had been tortured into madness."

If anything this made Odin clutch his dead child closer to him and cry even harder. Suddenly a glaring light descended on them and the manifestation of the Norns stood before them. The Norns reached down and plucked the dead prince from his fathers arms. Not caring about his grieving.

" _This should not have happened_ ", they spoke. " _May all know of the Trickster's fate so that his sacrifice will never be forgotten._ " And the whole of existance stopped. For a moment or for an eternity. It was impossible to say. During the interruption of everything the life of Loki came before their eyes. They knew all that had happened to him since he was first born into the world. The knowledge would fade in clarity but never disappear. When existance returned to normal, the Norns and their burden was gone.

* * *

 

The moment everything stopped all Avengers except Thor was in a meeting with Fury. When the world returned to normal, they sat in stunned silence. Tony was the first one to move, rushing to the nearest trashcan and started throwing up noisily. Next was Clint who started breaking his arrows into pieces, eyes vacant. Fury tried to speak but couldn't, everything was too overwhelming. Natasha and Bruce were holding their heads in their hands, regretting every action they had taken during the invasion. Staring at nothing, Steve was empty. Of all the things that could have happened, this was one he never thought could. And he began to cry. Mourning a man he had barely known.


	2. Chapter 2

Stepping around the flowers and candles Steve made his way into the Tower. Two years after the world had Paused people were still leaving offerings for the young god. Some travelled to New York for that purpose alone. Any crime he had committed had been forgiven. He walked into the common area and nodded to Tony, the engineer had a haunted expression. A common thing these days. In one of the sofas sat Thor. He had returned a year ago unable to cope with his grief and was still subdued. Here they had patience for it in a way Asgard didn't. Yet, the god was stuck in a viscous cycle of eating to much, fighting or training violently and then starving himself before starting over. Currently he was in a state of self-starvation. It was a prime example of poor mental health but they didn't know how to help him. What did you say to someone whose brother had been tortured into madness and then brutally executed? According to Thor they didn't even get a body to bury.

Steve was about to sit down when a strange light flooded the room. Then three women, or at least female looking, stood near the balcony. One of them carried a large bundle.

" _Behold_ ", one or all of them said, " _the child of Yggdrasil!_ " Placing their burden on the floor they faded. The bundle was wrapped in fabric, almost like a shroud, covering the person from head to toe. Because it was most certainly a person. Carefully the soldier started to unwrap the fabric. It was surprisingly soft and thick, giving away beneath his hands. Within was a youth, perhaps in his late teens or early twenties. Seemingly asleep, chest rising and falling steadily, face relaxed. The youth had short, glossy black hair and pale skin. He wore a green coat with white fur around the collar, some kind of green shirt, fingerless gloves and skin tight black trousers. Completing the assemble were a pair of dark boots reaching mid-calf. On his head he wore some kind of tiara, a flat, golden band with a couple of small horns. Steve was certain the kid was at least two heads shorter than him but it was difficult to say. He was also certain that this was im fact Loki. Even though the similarities were oddly out of focus.

Carefully he lifted the teen into his arms and carried him over to the sofa. Thor and Tony stared at him, tears had formed in the Thunderer's eyes. Recognition sparkling. With a shaking hand he reached out to the prone form, gently sweeping a black lock from the pale face.

"Loki..." he whispered. "Brother..." Now the tears were falling and soon the Asgardian was bawling. Crying his heart out in a way he had not done since coming to Earth. Had he at all? Sauntering over Tony looked apprehensive at the now teenaged god. Muttering about pint sized and jailbait. What this meant, Steve couldn't begin to guess.

* * *

 

He didn't know a whole lot about himself. But that was okay. Nothing like discovery. His name was Loki, he knew that. The Norns had done... something, he was not sure what, and he was born of the World Tree. Yggdrasil. And he knew magic. All and everything magic. Oh, he was a god. He knew that. What was a god though?  There were voices around him, they seemed to be agitated. Blinking slowly he squinted against the light in his eyes. Studying the people surrounding him he counted three blonde men, two brunettes and one red-haired woman. One of the blondes was shouting at another blonde, the third was kneeling at Loki's side. That was nice, he wondered who it was. None of them had noticed that he was awake. From listening he gathered that the two blondes shouting were called Barton and Thor, which one was which he had no idea. One brunette was called Stark and the lady was called Nat. Since the other two didn't speak he hadn't caught their names. Wherever he was he was lying on something soft and something warm was draped over him.

Silently and slowly he sat up, looking around. He was in a pretty neat place, high up with expensive furniture and tasteful decoractions. Sunlight shone through several tall windows, bathing the room in golden light. It was beautiful he decided. Still no one had noticed he was awake. Everything was unfamiliar to him but he didn't feel fear or worry. In fact, he couldn't feel anything than amused curiosity. Blissfully unaware that he perhaps should have been worried. Then lady Nat noticed him.

"Guys..." she said but no one seemed to hear her hesitant voice. "GUYS!" At her shout they stopped to look at her and she gestured with her head toward the young god. Loki was watching them amused as they eyed him warily. All except the biggest blonde. He walked over and took a pale hand in his big ones. Tear-eyed and wearing a shaky smile, he seemed on the verge of crying.

"Brother..." the man breathed. "How are you feeling?" Tilting his head the young god tried to figure out what the blonde meant.

"Who are you?" he asked not understanding the stricken look.

"I'm Thor, Loki. Your brother. Don't you remember?"

"What does brother mean?" the small Trickster asked curiously. He couldn't figure our why they were staring at him like that but he found it very amusing.

* * *

 

Why him? Why his Tower? Drinking from his scotch Tony looked at the pint sized god, still finding it hard to belive that this boyband wannabe was Loki, the god of mischief. Thor was certain and he would know, wouldn't he. It was kind of heartbreaking though watching the misery on his face when his brother didn't recognise him. Green eyes kept sweeping the room, face locking in on them from time to time. The teen seemed to lack an understanding of his situation and yet he didn't show any signs of agitation. Almost like he didn't know the appropriate reaction to being in a possibly hostile situation. Steve seemed to have noticed the same thing.

"Loki, what do you remember?" the soldier asked gently.

"Nothing?" the teen god tilted his head like a confused dog. "I don't have anything I could remember. But I know things."

"Alright, could you tell me what you know?"

"Sure. The Norns brought me here, before that I wasn't."

"Wasn't what?" Natasha asked.

"Nothing, I just wasn't", Loki gave her a way to cheerful smile for the answer he gave. "I know my name is Loki and I'm a god. Though I'm not sure what a god is... and I know magic."

"And that is all you know", Cap asked sounding more and more worried. "What do you make of your situation?"

"Yep, that's all. What about my situation? Is there something I should do?"

"You don't recognise any of us, that doesn't worry you?"

"What should I be worried about? Why?"

Tony had to sit down. They had an apparently a reincarnated god on their hands. Not only had he lost all his memories of his former life, he seemed to lack social awareness. Not to different from a small child but with higher cognition and intelligence. What if he lacked more?

"Hey kid", he said. Loki looked at him. "If you find a wallet filled with money what is the right thing to do? Keeping it or returning it to the owner?"

"Either sounds good to me", the pint sized god said. "What is a wallet and why isit money in it?"

Sweet Halloween candy corn. This was not going to be easy. That much was already obvious. Why him? Why did they have bring him to  _his_ Tower?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Young Loki's apperance is basically the same as in the comic "Loki: Agent of Asgard"
> 
> If you want to give the comics I would suggest reading them in this order "Journey into mystery > Young Avengers > Agent of Asgard (Original sin) otherwise it can be confusing. In my opinion they are still confusing but not nearly as much. And if the movies treat Loki poorly in ones opinion, the comics isn't much better. He is a very, very sad character with so much pain while Thor is a huge ass.


	3. Chapter 3

In short order Tony had set up a room for Loki, in the tower, and scrambled together some necessities. Still fumning Clint had no interest in letting the little shit get comfortable. If he had been honest with himself he could have admitted he was conflicted. It wasn't like he had forgotten what he had seen during "The Paus" as people were calling it. He knew well enough just how much the guy had suffered and how horrible his death had been. But that was supposed to be the end. Poor, poor Loki, whelp the bugger is dead already. Nothing we can do about it. Yet, here he was. Looking like a teenager with no memories whatsoever - or so he said. Well, he wasn't fooling Clint. The archer intended to keep a close watch on him for the foreseeable future.

"I bet you are feeling tired", Tony told the little shit, "with being born and all that stuff." Loki tilted his head again, his green eyes a mystery.

"Do you usually sleep at this time?" he asked. "What do you do when you sleep?" Man, he really played to clueless idiot, didn't he.

"You dream. Hopefully having nice ones. And you rest in order to have more energy afterwards. Or try to", the billionaire babbled. The young god shrugged and allowed himself to be escorted away by Thor. Still acting as if the big blonde was a stranger to him. Staring after them for a few moments, the engineer sighed, throwing back another drink. "This is going to be rough. Mister Boyband is like a newborn baby but capable of speech. By the way, someone or someones are going to have to take him out tomorrow to buy him stuff. Clothes, underwear, soap, schampoo and that sort of stuff. Books is probably a good idea as well, he would probably like that. Don't worry, I pay for it all."

"Why do we have to get him anything?" Clint muttered. Steve gave him a disapproving glance.

"He has nothing, Clint. No friends, no family and no memories. Do you want to throw him out on the streets?"

"He can work and earn his own freaking money."

"How?" Bruce asked mildly. "He was literally reborn _today_. He has, as Steve said, nothing. Including an education and a resume. You need those. And a whole lot of other things."

"Besides, do you really want _Loki_ to run around unsupervised?" Natasha said. "Didn't think so. Stark, Clint and I will take Loki tomorrow. Do you have a limit on how much money to spend?"

"Not need to go Prada or Gucci or something like it, otherwise, go wild. Maybe take him to stores popular with teens. If needed you can have them deliver to the Tower."

"What will you do?" Steve asked Tony.

"Set up some normal teenage tech with limitations set in place. You know, phone, pad, computer. I'm thinking some games could be useful, as a distraction if nothing else." Because that wouldn't backfire on them. Keeping quiet Clint decided to wait it out and then laugh in their faces when they got burned.

* * *

 

She would admit that she hadn't taken Stark seriously when he said the reincarnated god lacked all sense of right and wrong. This turned out to be a horrible mistake. Especially when taking him shopping. Loki had no idea how to behave or that there were things that you didn't do. Natasha stopped him from taking of alarms, opening sealed bags, taking other peoples purchase and several other small things. To his credit he never repeated an action she had told him was wrong. But he was also quite literal and didn't always understand that one action carried over to another. Forcing her to instruct him about several small things as wrong until he got it. At least carrying the stuff was no problem as the teen god put everything in some kind of space pocket. Thankfully he quickly figured out that he should ask her if something were going into the pocket or not. Unlike Clint, who kept scowling, she didn't doubt that this Loki was not the same as the old Loki.

"Lady Nat? What do you think of this one?" the godling asked excitedly, holding up a piece of clothing. When he had been told he could choose as many items as he wanted he had jumped at the opportunity. His lack of social understanding meant he made some... interesting choices.

"It is very pretty, sweetheart, but skirts are usually worn by girls", she told him and he looked at her with that incomprehensible expression, silently asking 'So?' that he had shown many times already. Not wanting to argue she let him try it on and then add it to the pile. A few dresses followed suit together with another skirt. Not that he skipped typical male clothes, he just didn't care.

"Did he seriously just buy clothes for $1000?" Clint looked at the reciept.

"Seeing the amount he bought it is not that bad. Let's go get him some more shoes, then lunch before we buy hygiene products."

Lunch became McDonald's. The bright colours had drawn the young god and seeing that he ate  _everything_ on the menu that was probably a good thing. Natasha realised that no one had given Loki dinner or breakfast so it was no wonder he was hungry. He looked around while eating, chatting up strangers and interacting with kids. At her instructions he properly cleaned up after himself. A child Tony had said, not entirely inaccurate except he had the mental capabilities of someone in their early adulthood.

"Thanks for the food, Aunt Nat", he said as they left. She stopped.

"Why did you call me that?"

"I was told that is the proper way to address a lady I'm not related to who is older than me and take care of me. And you have taken care of me today."

"I see, is Clint uncle then?"

"No? He has been glaring at me the whole time and only complained."

The kid had a point. They spent afternoon browsing beauty shops until Loki finally found Nirvana at Lush. He went nuts, smelling soaps, schampoos, perfumes, oils and poking at things. An employee followed him around with an amused expression, explaining and answering questions. Letting him test a few things to see what he liked. It came out a bit more expensive than the usual stuff but the store clerk assured her that those schampoo bars easily lasted a few months, often more. He had gotten some bath bombs as well. Natasha smiled when the young god was skipping as they walked back to the Tower, to distracted to notice the agent watching them from a coffee shop.

* * *

 

Kid had style, no doubt about it. He had held an impromtu fashion show, switching clothes through magic. When Bruce commented on the skirt being for girls the god pouted and then changed into one. She didn't look very different in her female form but it was still a shock. The only one not surprised by this was Thor, stating he had known of this ability for centuries. The Thunderer had a soft expression and praised his brother/sister with each new outfit. He had clearly grieved his sibling horribly and even if Loki didn't remember him he was still happy to have him back in some way.

"Don't forget to feed him", Natasha said as she sat down beside Tony. "He got his first meal at McDonald's. His first meal. Ever."

"That's horrifying. Why did you even take him there?"

"He wanted to. Liked the colours he said."

"Man, he really is a kid, huh."

"In some ways, yes. In other ways he is way more adult than many people I've met. We have to be very gentle and careful with him."

"How so?"

"Because we will have to teach him about the world and how you are supposed to behave. He don't know. He is willing to learn and listen when you tell him stuff but things we take for granted is foreign for him."

"Like what?"

"Like not understanding that Clint was glaring at him until someone pointed it out to him, indicating it was bad. Up till that point Loki just assumed he was making a funny face."

Before the engineer could answer he suddenly had boyband wannabe up in his face. "Uncle Tony?" Loki said. "Could you help me make a bath? I want to try out the bombs!"

"Wha... Wait? What? Bombs? Who gave you bombs? And Uncle?" Tony spluttered.

"Calm down Stark, he is talking about bath bombs", Natasha stood and took the god's hand. "I will help you sweetie. Is there anything you would like to eat for dinner?"

"I heard someone talk about pitsa."

"It is actually spelled p-i-z-z-a."

"Why? That doesn't make sense."

Tony didn't hear the rest as they disappeared into the elevator, he looked at Clint.

"Don't ask me, man. I'm staying out of this", the archer said. "But pizza  _do_ sounds good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a none native English speaker I tend to rely heavily on spell check catch the most obvious spelling mistakes. When possible that is. Unfortunatly for me, I can't get spell check when using my Bluetooth keyboard together with my tablet. The trade of is that my writing speed is way higher when I use the keyboard but I did waste at least half an hour trying to find a way to get spell check. I failed. Oh well.
> 
> I'm one of these people who enjoys having music when I write. Currently I'm listening to a playlist on Spotify named "Soft pop hits". I like it. A bit more angsty, more variation of decades and artists. But that's me, for now. I can listen to almost anything. Almost. Techno, heavy metal, death metal and groweling is not my thing. Otherwise? Depends on the song more than the genre.


	4. Chapter 4

The young god wasn't cruel or intentionally mean but his pranks had a tendency to waver on the verge of hurtful. It wasn't really his fault since he didn't have a concept of how much was to much and mischief was in his nature. They tried to explain each time why something was bad or wrong. He would listen, nod, then next time do something different that went to far. Without intending to. The one with the most success in teaching the Trickster were Steve. His unwavering moral compass and belief in doing the right thing made him a good role model. Not to mention the first one to start telling the god how to do good, instead of just telling him when he did something bad.

The first time Loki stepped out into thin air Tony nearly had a heart attack. Mister Boyband however hopscotched across the sky without a care in the world. Then he stopped, looked around before  _gliding_ back to the by then shouting mortals. Even Thor had not predicted that one. Upon landing on the roof he didn't even had the sense to look ashamed for scaring them. He might have forgotten everything about his past life but his magic and all the knowledge he had attributed over the centuries were still there. More, if Thor was to be believed. Other parts were easier, like basic education. He breezed through history, social studies, mathematics and physics. Biology confused him at first but once he caught on he really got it. Language was not an issue, not with the All-speak. He loved litterature and read everything he was handed. Art was a difficulty as he once again couldn't grasp boundaries but he liked music. Tony taught him to play the piano.

The only one not liking the tyke was Clint. He refused to interact and would glower everytime they were in the same room. In response Loki would pull a prank or do something petty. Like leaving Clint out when setting the table. Even though he got scolded for it, who could blame him? It wasn't like the archer never did similar stuff. Thor was the kid's biggest defender. Feeling like he had failed his brother in his former life the older god was determined to be a good big brother this time around. At first Loki was just confused by his fellow god but once he realised Thor's actions were expressions of love he happily accepted the role of baby brother. 

"Tony?" The engineer jumped, startled from his thoughts. Turning around he saw the pint sized god standing behind him. Thankfully he had stopped using 'uncle' to refer to him.

"What's up Boyband?"

"What are you working on?" It was a part of his suit. At first he hesitated telling the kid but realised he was acting paranoid. Moving out of the way he showed the half-finished boot.

"It is a part of my suit."

"Your suit?"

"Yeah, you know, my Iron Man suit."

The kid's eyes went wide as saucers and he got slack jawed, eyes shining with unbrideled awe. " _You_ are Iron Man?" he almost whispered. Apparently the kid had not known about that. It was no surprise he knew of the Avengers, he spent a lot of time learning about things on his computer but it seemed he hadn't seen any article naming the heroes behind the masks.

"Yep, the armour in gold and red you see is none other than me. You should also know that Hawkeye is Clint, Natasha is Black Widow, Bruce is the Hulk - when he is very, very angry - and Steve is Captain America."

Loki had a starstruck expression and seemed almost giddy. "Is Thor also an Avenger?"

"You didn't know?"

"All photos of him were blurry. Something to do with his lightning. This is so cool, I live with the Avengers." He did a little dance of excitement. Then he eyed the boot, shuffeling his feet shyly. "Can I help you? With your suit?"

"Sure, why not. The other boot is over there." Normally Tony wouldn't let  _anyone_ get even close to his suit barr Rhodey and Pepper. However, the young god was intelligent and had already proven he could do pretty complicated things. "Just follow the blueprint, alright?"

They worked side by side for hours. From time to time Loki would ask a question or make a suggestion. It was a bit embarrassing but the engineer couldn't help but feel like the young god's dad at times. In the same sense, Natasha was pretty much his mom. They had taken it upon themselves to look after him, Thor meant well but tended to indulge his brother a bit to much. Bruce was definitly an Uncle, the kind and gentle type. Jury was out regarding the archer and when it came to Steve...

As if on que the soldier popped into the workshop to tell them dinner was ready. That was another of Romanoff's new rules. Everyone had to eat dinner together so their ward could learn proper social skills. Seeing the super soldier Loki dropped the screwdriver he had been working with and blushed furiously. It was pretty obvious he had a huge crush for Steve. Not that Rogers himself had noticed yet. While their spider spy didn't approve of the kid's feelings Tony had decided to wait and see if it went further than a typical teenage crush and hero worshipping. In his opinion they should let things run their course. It was not like Loki was a normal teenager after all.

"You okay there, bud?" Steve asked as he bent down and handed the screwdriver to the beet red teen. Completetly tongue-tied the Trickster could only nod frentically. The soldier gave him a worried look and turned to the engineer. "Did I miss something."

"He found out earlier that you are Captain America", Tony replied.

"Oh... sorry I didn't mean to keep it a secret."

"..."

"I'm sorry Loki, I couldn't hear that."

"... y ..."

"What did you say?"

"Steve, stop torturing the poor kid. He is just trying to say it okay."

"You heard him?"

"It wasn't hard to figure out. Come on Capsicle, Boyband. Let's get some food into our tummies."

* * *

 

He had been talking for a couple minutes when he noticed that his student were no longer listening. Normally he was a very attentive student who enjoyed his studies very much. Now his focus was on something else. Bruce turned and spotted Steve entering the conference room they used as a classroom. The soldier was dressed in loose pants and wore a tanktop, showing off his muscled body. Chuckling softly the scientist let his wayward student look his fill. It was pretty cute to watch Loki trying and failing to hide his crush, all while the focus of his attentions didn't notice at all. What would happen once Rogers realised was hard to say, hopefully he would handle it in a gentle manner. Despite his more severe lack of boundaries and morals Loki was a sweet kid. More than once he had done small gestures to express his feelings toward them all. Creating a plushie Hulk had been one such thing.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you have lessons in here", Steve said awkwardly.

"No, it's fine" Bruce said. "We were just about to take a break anyway."

"I don't want to bother you..."

"As I said, we are about done anyway. Loki?"

"Hm?" the teen jumped and flushed.

"Take a break and then go find Thor for P.E. okay?"

"Yes, Uncle Bruce. Thank you for the lesson!" the young god gave Banner a big hug and hurried out of the room. Steve looked after him with a sad expression.

"I don't think he like me very much..."

Chocking slightly on his coffee the scientist looked at his friend in amusement. "Why do you think that?"

"He won't meet my eyes or talk to me. When we are in the same room he avoids me. If that's not dislike I don't know what is..."

"Trust me Steve, he do like you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Oh, it is pretty obvious. Loki doesn't even dislike Clint, he just find him bothersome."

"If you say so..."

* * *

 

Heart hammering in his chest Loki hid his flushed face in his hands. It had to be criminal to be as handsome as the Captain. And oh, hadn't that been a bombshell. His favourite person, beside Thor, was also his favourite super hero. An image of that gorgeous face and warm smile floated to his mind. For a second he tried to imagine how being held by those strong arms would feel like. Maybe even a kiss? But that was just a fantasy. Steve would never look at him in that way. He saw Loki as a child. Someone who had to be protected and taken care of. Granted, not even the god himself was sure how old he was supposed to be. They said he looked like a teenager and behaved like one but he had no frame of reference. How was he supposed to know what was normal? What did it even mean to be normal? Probably being boring.

Stepping out of the elevator he spotted Clint Barton standing by the window, talking on his phone. Why the man seemed so hostile towards him he couldn't quite understand. Nat had tried to explain that Loki's old incarnation had done something very mean to the archer. And now that resentment was directed at his current self. Then she had hugged him and told him he was not at fault.

"...yes, sir..." Clint said to his phone and turned slightly, and saw the godling. He smiled smugly and spoke again. "I have him right here, sir. Yes, bring it up to the pad. No problem." Shrugging Loki began walking towards the kitchen. "Hey, put on your shoes and come with me!"

Looking over his shoulder the god scowled. "Why?"

"Because we are leaving."

"But I'm supposed to spar with Thor in a few minutes."

"Too bad, now put on your shoes and come with me."

The Trickster sighed but went to do as he was told. Happy Hogard, Tony's head of security, had told him that he was supposed to listen to his elders and do what they told him. Once his shoes were on he was pulled out on the helipad. "I'm not supposed to be out here..."

"Shut up", Clint growelled and watch the quinjet approaching. It only partially landed and opened the ramp. With a harsh grip on Loki's arm the archer pulled him into the plane, ordering the pilot to take off as soon as they had cleared the ramp. The young god didn't know what was going on and decided to sit down as he was shown and wait to see what would happen.

* * *

 

"Jarvis, did someone just leave with the quinjet?" Tony watched the plane with some confusion.

" _No, it was sent from Shield._ "

"What? Why? And for whom?"

" _Mr. Barton, sir. Also..._ "

"Spit it our Jarvis."

" _Mr. Barton took the young master with him._ " The young master? Who the heck were the youn...

"He took Loki? To  _Shield_?"

" _I'm afraid so, sir._ "

"Avengers assamble. We got a god to rescue. And remind me to murder Clint when I see him."

" _Should I do it before or after the young master is safely returned?_ "

"Don't be a smartass. Just remind me."

" _Yes sir._ "

Oh, Clint was going to pay dearly for this. No one took  _HIS_ kid and got away with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Did you know that jaywalking is legal in Sweden? In some smaller intersections it is even encouraged as the lack of a proper crossover tend to make people pay more attention when crossing the road. This is especially common in city centers or around bus stops. You still have responsebility to show consideration for other people and vechicles. At some places the cars tend to stop even though they have no obligatiion to do so without a proper pedestrian crossing.
> 
> Fun fact 2: Cyclists count as vehicle as long as they are on the bicycle, therefore cars has no obligation to stop for a cyclist at a crossing. If you pull your bike however, you become a pedestrian and the cars should stop for you. You can still cross on your bike but unless you can clearly see a lack of cars it is not wise to do so.
> 
> Ciao!


	5. Chapter 5

Fury had seen a lot of weird shit in his life, like a cat looking creature that suddenly blasted tentacles out of its mouth and swallowing a person whole, but not even he knew what to make of this. When Barton told him Loki was somehow alive, he imagined the old Loki but far more deranged and homicidal. Not a teenager that was visibly pouting about his current accommodations. The glass cage wasn't ideal and the Pausing of the world had revealed the true horror of the god's last few years alive. Pacing unhappily the youth tried knocking on wall and jumped back when the cage shook. A few times he shouted at Barton that he didn't like this and wanted to go home. Without getting an answer he went back to his unhappy fidgeting. 

Bright green eyes met his single one when Fury went to talk to him. There was an innocence about the god that had not been there before. It was probably all an act. He would not let himself be caught of guard.

"Long time no seen", the director said. "Didn't think I would see you here again." Loki tilted his head.

"What happened to your eye? Did it hurt? Did you lose it? Or just injured it?"

"My eye has nothing to do with the matter at hand. What are you doing here, Loki?"

"Clint said we were going somewhere", the teen pouted and kicked his foot in the air. "Stupid Clint. I don't know why he thought we should go here."

"I mean, why are you on Earth?" Fury growled angrily.

"I don't know. The Norns decided that. How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"You know pretty dang well who I am."

"No... I have no idea who you are... we have never met before..."

"Don't play stupid with me, it won't work."

"I'm not stupid! Tony and Nat said I'm a genius! Tony is Iron Man you know! He showed me his suit and let me help."

Pinching the bridge of his nose the director felt his annoyance grow. Loki certainly acted like a teenager. One rebelling against his parents or teacher. Hill entered the area outside the cage and talked in a low voice.

"There is something you need to see, director Fury." He followed her to the monitoring room. Several technicians and researchers were looking at some data.

"This better be good", he announced. One female scientist turned to him.

"We have been comparing the data from his previous incarceration with the data we have gathered now and there are some... odd differences", she pointed to a screen. "Before, his body temperature was about 25 to 30 degrees Celsius which in a human would amount hypothermia. Now his body temperature is around 37 degrees Celsius which is the average temperature. Even Thor have shown a similar body temperature."

"And?"

"His bone structure is slightly different, his blood, from what we can tell is not as thick as before. Moat significantly is the fact that his magical signature has changed. There are similarities but he shows far more power now and the magic seems to somewhat sentient."

"Sentient magic?"

"We could be mistaken, magic... not a field I find familiar."

Through the monitors he could see the god sitting on the floor. Bored but not angry or scared. Suddenly alarms blared angrily and one agent called that a jet had landed. A moment later the same man also reported that Iron Man was on deck.

* * *

 

Why did it have to be the Helicarrier? Not important right now. He had stepped out of his metal suit, leaving it on guard mode, and was walking through the corridors. Following him were the Avengers sans Clint Barton. Who was in a whole lot of trouble. It was with effort they had convinced Thor to attempt negotiations before they turned to violence. If Shield tried to hold the kid however, no-one would bother stopping the thunder god.

"Stark!" Fury's voice echoed as the black man stalked towards them. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You have taken our kid god and we want him back", Tony said in a falsely pleasant voice. "Mind just handing him over?"

"You know I can't do that."

"But you can hold a teenager captive without legal reasons!" Steve said angrily. "You have no right to do so."

"Him being Loki is all reason needed."

"The Loki you knew is no more, Fury", Thor said. "I witnessed his demise myself, prisoner to an enchantment, and the Norns taking his body away. My brother died a horrible death. The Loki now may have the same soul but he is not the same person."

"He could be tricking you."

"He could but I know he is not. Unlike you, director, I would have been happy if he had faked his death. He didn't."

"There you have it Nick, now give him back."

Fury was about ti answer when a jubilant shout bounced in the corridor. "Tony! Thor, Uncle Bruce, Steve!" their pint sized god came sprinting towards them followed by Natasha. Leave it up to the spy and former assassin to take things into her own hands. She glared at the director of Shield and laid a hand across Loki's shoulder in a possessive gesture.

"You can tell Clint I refuse to even look at him until he can grow up", she said. "Also, I quit."

"Agent Romanoff, you do realise the consequences of your actions?"

"I think I do, yes. I wonder if you do, however. People haven't forgotten about what they learnt during the Pause, I doubt they would take kindly to Shield's actions today."

With that she started to walk away, arm still around the young god's shoulders. The rest acted as shields. Tony gave Fury one last warning before following, secretly sniggering about the infamous Black Widow turning into a huge Mama Bear for Loki. It was cute.

* * *

 

The sound of skin hitting skin broke the silence in the small kitchen at the farm. It had taken a lot of begging for Natasha to come and that was the first thing she did. Laura and the kids were out for the day.

"I never thought you could sink that low", his friend told him. Clint stared at the table top. He didn't tell her that he had been sleeping on the sofa for the past couple of weeks, after his wife learnt of his behavior. Like everyone else she knew intimatly what happened to the old Loki. His treatment of the new one had made her angrier than he had ever seen her. "Why, Clint? Why is it so hard to accept that things have changed?"

"He was in my head Tasha, and I just can't forget that. I know he suffered horribly and that his death was gruesome. But seeing him as this supposedly innocent little kid just rubs me the wrong way. Why does he get to start over without anyone questioning it?"

"Because he died and was brought back by beings far more powerful than any of us. Who knows their reasons, but Clint, Loki is a god. Thor explained it to me. Their bodies are mortal, they can get hurt and die. But their essence as gods are immortal, eternal. When they die their essence form again, their past forgotten and starting anew. While the core remains the same they do not. Apparently this beings replaced Loki's body and infused the new body with his essence, his soul. He is still the Trickster god but Loki Odinson-Leufeyson is gone. You are angry at someone who is dead and project it on someone who is not."

"Why do you care so much for him, Natasha?" the red-haired woman rose and went to the window, looking out at the quiet fields. Her stance was relaxed and she leaned on the window sill.

"It feels like having a child", she said. "Someone to take care of, someone who relies on you and who needs you."

"But he is not your kid..."

"Not by blood, no. But Thor is his brother and don't share blood either."

"It is not the same is it?"

"I don't know, Clint but in a very peculiar way I love that teen. He ewokes feelings that I had thought lost to the Red Room. Loki doesn't see me as an assassin or a spy. He sees me as the person who makes sure he is fed and dressed. That he gets an education and are not treated poorly. If that's what it is like being a mother, then that's what I want to be to him."

Clint didn't answer. He knew the selfless love towards a child. Everyday he felt it when he looked at his own kids. He also knew that you could love someone like that even though you were not related. Something broke. The last few years had not been easy for him. First the mind control and the invasion, then the Paus and all it revealed. Suspicion from his fellow agents. Working as an Avenger while keeping his family a secret. Then Loki somehow returned to life. Forcing him to face all his supressed emotions and he had refused. Tears began falling down his cheeks, soon he was full on sobbing. Natasha thankfully didn't say anything. She knew some of his torment and could probably guess the rest. Perhaps he ought to give the kid a proper chance. If he still would be allowed near him.


	6. Chapter 6

For some reason Tony had taken Loki to this place he called High School. Something about hanging out with kids his own age. He had joked he should probably be in kindergarten then. The engineer had laughed and ruffled his hair. An odd look in his eyes, soft and almost tender. He had no idea what that sort of expression indicated but it seemed to be something good. This "school" thing was several large buildings and patches of green. Corridors were filled with metal boxes reaching from floor to ceiling. Monters with pictures and fancy metal cups was spread out here and there. Along the corridors there were rooms, people had gathered in some of them, listening to someone talking.

"Hey, Lo'! This way!" Tony made a gesture to urge him forward. "Alright Kiddo, we are going to meet the principal of this place and hopefully you will be able to begin tomorrow."

"Why do I have to come here?"

"Being couped up in the Tower is not good for you and you need to get to know more people. Other than the Avengers."

Loki sighed but if the engineer thought it was important then he was willing to do as he said. After the incident with Shield he had been told that he didn't always have to listen to adults if he for some reason felt uneasy or uncomfortable. That didn't mean he should dismiss them but he shouldn't blindly do as they say either. How confusing. They went through a door that said "Faculty", inside they were shown through yet another door and was greeted by a man and a woman. The woman introduced herself as Paris Green and the man as Carl Fritz. She was the principal and he was the vice-principal.

"Mr. Stark", Green said and gestured to the two chairs in front of her desk. "And you most be Loki?"

"Yes, miss", the young god answered politely, like Steve would. She chuckled warmly.

"Now, you explained the situation over the phone Mr. Stark but is there anything else that we should know of?"

"The kid is a genius, like seriously a genius but when it comes to social interactions he is basically clueless. Everything he knows he has been taught."

"And you think him coming to our school is the best option for him?" Fritz asked snappily. "Don't you think another type of school would be more appropriate."

"No, I don't", Tony glared at the man. "He is clueless but not inapt. Any other school would likely bore him."

"Loki", miss Green said. "Does it bother you when we talk about you like this?"

"No."

"Truly?"

"Yes. I'm still learning about, well, everything and Tony knows pretty much everything."

"That's an exaggeration, kid. But I appriciate the confidence." The billionair turned to the principal. "His situation is pretty much unique, I'm sure you can understand that but he is a good kid who deserves a chance."

"I agree with you whole heartedly", Green said. Tony blinked in surprise.

"You do?"

"Of course. If coming to our school will help him then that is our duty as educator to find the best way of doing so."

"Oh, okay. I guess I thought it would be harder to convince you. There is one more thing you need to keep in mind though."

"And what is that?" Fritz snarled. Loki decided he didn't like the man. He was being very rude to Tony and acted like they had affronted him somehow. How he had no idea.

"Loki is still a god, not human. He has extraordinary strenght and he has magic. His control is excellent but at times he..."

"Don't know the proper time and place to use it?" the principal asked kindly. This person the god did like. She seemed to be the kind of person who loved their job and wanted to do everything she could to make things easier for those around her.

"That's one way to put it. My suggestion is to simply tell him and explain why his magic is inappropriate in any given situation. Or a certain type of magic in that specific situation. Combined with letting him know when his magic is not only acceptable but also useful."

"I understand", Green smiled. "I hope you will have a good time in our school, I think entering the second grade would be best. Don't worry to much about the lessons and try to get some friends. I will see you tomorrow and introduce you to your homeroom teacher."

* * *

 

Liam walked into the classroom and tried to hurry to the back of the room. Stumbling he glanced at Mike who grinned at him and made a face. His friends laughed and pelted pieces of paper at him. It was a bit of a relief to sit down and putting his head on the table. As a black kid with viltigo he had always suffered a lot from bullies. The white blotches on his skin being the reason. His blue eyes didn't do anything to help. The moment their homeroom teacher walked in everyone quited down, Mr. Farrow wasn't alone. A boy with ebony black hair and startling green eyes was following just behind. Mr. Farrow cleared his throat.

"We have a new a new addition to the class, this is his first time in a school so I want you all to make an effort to make him feel welcome. That include you, Mike." The gang snickered. Tilting his head the boy looked at them with a curious expression. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

"Very well. My name is Loki, son of Yggdrasil. I live with the Avengers and like mischief." Several people in the class snickered.

"Yo! Do you know Black Widow?" Mike yelled.

"Of course I do?" Loki looked quite confused. "Nat made my lunch today." Now almost everyone was laughing. The poor guy didn't seem to understand what was going on. Mr. Farrow growled at them.

"That is enough! Loki, please take an empty seat." The teen swept his eys over the room and lit up when he spotted Liam. He walked down to the table and sat on the chair next to him. Swallowing, Liam could see the class looking at him, still snickering. When the bell finally rang it felt like an eternity had passed. New kid turned to him.

"May I inquire about your name?" he said while smiling. "Tony said I should try to talk to my mates."

"Urm... Liam. Liam Winter."

"Nice to meet you Liam. Can I bother you to show me the location of the next class?"

"Uh... sure. But you might want to find someone else to sit with..."

"Why? Was I a bother?"

"No, no... it's just..."

"Hey, cookies and cream!" Mike shouted. "Having fun with Crazy Dude?" Groaning Liam hid his face in his hands. Loki on the other hand scowled and had a very disapproving expression on his face.

"You are being very rude. It is unseeming."

"Whatever Crazy. I think it is fun!"

"What a pitiful lack of imagination... If you would refrain from speaking to me or Friend Liam in the future it would be appreciated." The whole corridor laughed at the new kid, feeling both ashamed and fearful, Liam tugged at his sleeve.

"Come on, it is not worth it..."

"Yeah, why don't you run away princess? Let cookies and cream be your prince." Mike had a cruel grin on his face and grabbed Loki's shirt, pulling him forward. Or at least, he tried. The teen didn't budge, only looking at the bully in confusion.

"What are you doing?" he asked. A moment later a fist crashed into his face but he didn't even stagger. Instead he looked even more confused, the punch had done nothing. "I doubt that is a proper greeting on Midgard." Shaking his head new kid walked away, Liam running behind him.

* * *

 

School was weird. The classes were fun and interesting yet his peers acted as if they were boring. The humans were loud, obnoxious and rude. Nat had given him an encouraging pat on the shoulder when he teleported to the Tower to pick up his lunch. In the cafeteria he spotted Liam Winter. This human he liked. sitting down he admired the marbled quality if his skin. Liam noticed him looking and fidgeted.

"I know they are ugly, just..."

"I think it is pretty", the god interrupted. "Different but pretty. There are patterns in the chaos."

"You like them?"

"Yes? I like chaos. And mischief and magic."

"...listen dude, you might want to cut down on the weird talk or your life here will be... bad."

"What is weird?"

"Magic? The Avengers, all that. It is weird and sounds just crazy."

"Why? Magic is real and my brother is an Avenger."

"Uhu, who? Iron Man?"

"Tony? No, he is my mentor. Although he likes calling himself my father. My brother is Thor."

"Thor? Like the one with the hammer and the lightning? You look nothing alike, dude.

"Family is more than blood." Loki unwrapped his lunch. It was still steaming. Nat had made the Russian stew she knew he liked. There were also some pudding and a note. He read the note and looked at his new friend. He could tell Liam thought he was lying even if he didn't understand why. But if he showed his friend he would have no reason to doubt. "Want to come over after school?"

* * *

 

What the heck was he doing, walking into the lobby of the Avengers Tower. Just because Loki had said he lived didn't mean it was true. The guy seemed to lack a few screws. No one stopped them when they walked up to an elevator. There were no buttom to push but the doors opened anyway. Still feeling trepidation Liam joined him in the small box. There were nothing to push inside either, he lurched when the carriage began rising.

" _Welcome home, young master_ ", a voice said from the ceiling. " _Do you wish to take your guest to the penthouse?_ "

"Thanks Jarv, do you think Tony would be okay with it?" Loki addressed the disembodied voice.

" _Sir has informed me that your friend is welcome to stay as long as he likes._ "

"Then the penthouse is good, is anyone else home?"

" _Captain Rogers are in the living room._ "

"Oh..." a faint blush coloured the pale cheeks. Liam just stared, unable to process what was going on. Then the elevator doors opened to a luxurious space that could only belong to a rich person. Someone was sitting on a sofa, scetching silently. A very mascular man with a broad chest and thick arms. He looked up when the two teens entered.

"Hi buddy? How was school?" he said. Loki mumbled something uninteligble and had gone completetly red in the face. "You okay? You are not sick or anything?" The teen shook his head quickly.

"Um..." Winter waved awkwardly.

"Oh, hi", the man held out his hand. "Steve Rogers, and you are?" 

"Liam Winter, sir", he said before his brain caught up and he stared opened mouthed at the living legend. "You are Captain America..." The Captain smiled and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. A moment later a door opened and  _the_ Tony Stark walked in. He wore simple black pants and a dirty tanktop, yawning.

"Welcome home, kiddo. Nice to see you made friends. Met a fan Cap? Never mind, everyone is your fan. Hey, anyone hungry? I could go for some Italian. Someone else up for Italian? No? Chinese then? Yes Loki, I know you would like some Scandinavian food but why do you always choose the weird stuff? Oh, maybe we could go for some sushi. I bet you would like sushi. Did you used to have sushi back in the days, Cap? Oh, wait. War with Japan, right. No sushi then. Maybe..." Stark kept talking without really stopping. Apparently this was normal since both Loki and Captain America(!) laughed warmly. The pale teen gave Stark a hug.

"I'm home, Tony."

"Good to have you home kid."

Liam had to admit, the guy knew how to prove someone wrong. No missing screws here.


	7. Chapter 7

_He couldn't breath. The light glared in his eyes and a heavy sensation pressed him down. Head swimming, a kaleidoscope of impressions attacked him. His heart were beating hard in his chest. Tears streamed down his face, all he wanted was to do home. Away from the pain and the fear._

 

* * *

 

Playing with his pen he waited for the moment he would be allowed to turn in his paper. Usually he loved the lessons but the tests were boring. It didn't take more than ten minutes to answer the questions yet he had to wait another half an hour before he was allowed to leave. If he had been able to hand his teacher the paper he could have read while waiting. Instead he was stuck here. Tony had made him promise to not use magic during testing, urging him to not give people a reason to think he is cheating. At least he was sitting by a window and could look at the sky.

"Loki? Focus on your test paper, please", miss Tyler said.

"I've already finished, miss", he answered politely.

"The whole test?"

"Yes, miss."

Miss Tyler was a grey-haired woman with a stern face, teaching mathematics. She had little patience for fools and jesters. Most students didn't like her. Loki didn't mind her but because he had been tutored by both Tony and Uncle Bruce the level she taught was way to easy for him. Even several magic spells he knew required more mathematics than she was teaching. Solving the problems in the test was the equivalent of elementary school addition for him. This seldom mattered to the teachers. At the moment miss Tyler was glaring at him and had a displeased expression. She likely didn't believe him.

"If you are so confident hand me your paper and exit the classroom for the rest of the period", she said. Loki smiled happily, not bothered by her hostility. It took but a minute to hand her the paper and leave. Now he had a whole hour before the next class. Naturally he headed to the library. That's where Liam found him a while later.

"Dude, you managed to almost give the old witch an aneurysm. She started to grade your paper while waiting for us to finish and her face went from red to purple."

"Oh dear... that wasn't my intention. Is she well?"

"Lo' my man, nothing will kill that woman. Maybe the Hulk but I don't know if even that is enough. She deserved it, Lo. The way she acts."

"I don't think uncle Bruce would be happy if he killed her..."

"That wasn't literally meant, bro. Just, you know, an euphemism."

"Oh!" Lots of things were euphemistic it seemed. People saying stuff they didn't mean yet somehow meant. It was quite the headache. "That's good then. The next class is gym, right?"

"Yep. You are gonna be okay? You sat out the first few times."

"Yes, as long as I take it easy." He had been sternly warned not to break anything or hurt anyone. Liam was a good friend but he still didn't believe Loki was a god and could use magic. That was too out there for him. Apparently he believed the teen god had a poor health rather than the opposite. It was easier to let him think that. Before he could reach the changing room the PA called out.

"Loki Stark, please go to vice-principal Fritz office immediately. I repeat, Loki Stark, please go to vice-principal Fritz office immediately."

"You better go, Fritz hates tardiness. I tell coach", Liam said and fistbumped him. Reasoning he should go as quickly as he could, Loki teleported to the faculty and walked over to the VP office. Knocking on the door. An unknown man opened it and gestured for him to get in. Fritz was absent. Two other men also stood in the room, dressed in black combat gear. Feeling unease and a sensation of foreboding Loki made to back out when a sharp needle pierced the skin of his neck. It burned. He tried for the closed door once more but was tackled to the ground. Another injection was pushed into his neck. Nausea and dizziness crashed over him.

"Let's go before anyone comes", a man with a growling voice said. The young god was yanked to his feet and dragged away. He lost consciousness not long after, silently crying for help.

* * *

 

"I fail to see the problem, miss Tyler", Fritz said. "He completed the test in less than twenty minutes and answered everything correctly. You said yourself that you didn't see any sign of him cheating."

"There is something about that boy, Fritz", the old hag said.

"He is being mentored by Tony Stark himself, what did you expect?" Carl was aware that most students had a poor opinion of him and he could understand why. Despite that he took his job seriously and despised teachers who tried to tear down students. Yes, he had been unwilling to accept Loki into the school but compared to many other students the boy was polite, orderly and didn't cause trouble. He payed attention in class and many teachers said he was on a level expected in college. Therefore Carl could accept that he needed school for social reasons rather than academic ones. Miss Tyler was not like that. Her mouth twisted in distaste and opened it to speak.

"Loki Stark, please go to vice-principal Fritz office immediately", the PA announced suddenly. "I repeat, Loki Stark, please go to vice-principal Fritz office immediately."

A chill went down Carl's back. He had not asked to see the boy and there was no reason he would be sent through the PA system. From her expression even Tyler could tell this was problematic. He hurried down the corridor, praying the kid had not arrived yet. The door to his office was open, he always locked it when leaving, documents had been distributed and he noticed with horror a syringe in the waste basket, poorly concealed by some crumpled paper.

Fritz threw himself at the phone, entering a phone number all citizens in New York knew. The Avenger hotline. "I need to speak to Tony Stark immediately. It is in regards to his son."

* * *

 

He didn't know where he was. His head was swimming. White clothed people milled about his restrained body. He couldn't see what the were doing, a screen over his neck prevented him. That didn't stop him from feeling. Breathing harshly and laboriously he tried to keep his sobs quiet. It didn't hurt as much as he knew it probably should but he could still feel their hands and fingers digging. All of them had some kind of emblem with a skull with eight tentacles in red. 

"Okay, bring over the bonesaw, let's crack open his ribcage", one said and screeching sound filled the bright lit room, followed by the sickening sound of bones breaking. A finger touched his beating heart.

Something rose within him. Something from deep down inside. Deeper than his body, his mind. Rising from the depth of his soul a sensation of horror and fear. Loki screamed and bucked in the restraints. And the Earth shook with him.


	8. Chapter 8

"Fury!" Thor's yell made the windows shake. "Where is my brother?" The black man turned at looked at the Thunderer before taking in the rest of them. His expression unimpressed.

"I don't have a flerking idea where your frigging brother is. It is your job to keep an eye on him."

"Yeah, well, Nicky, he got  _abducted_ from his school and his signal is coming from this building", Tony said, trying to control his temper. His heart hadn't stopped beating in overdrive since he got that phone call. It freaked him out that someone had managed something like that. Loki lacked the instincts that came from centuries of fighting and had likely been taken by surprise. Where ever he was the kid was probably terrified. The thought made the engineer even angrier.

"I will repeat, I have no flerking idea where the kid is", the director said. "If you have his signal, go ahead and search the building."

"That's the problem", Natasha said. "It has been jammed ever since we entered. We can tell he is here but can't pinpoint exactly where." Before anyone could say anything else, the ground  _heaved_. It threw them up in the air and all of them landed hard. As they tried to get to their feet the ground heaved again, literally shaking. They were in a facility just outside of New York. Many things could happen to the city but earthquakes were not among them. Feeling bruised Tony struggled to get upright, grabbing the table that thankfully had been weilded to the floor.

"What the..." he began.

"It's Loki", Thor said. "He is in pain." Not what the genius wanted to hear at that moment. His kid were in pain and was likely terrified. Why that caused earthquakes would have to be answered later.

"Fury, if you have any idea where he might be, now would be the time to whip it out", he shouted over the groaning of the building. The one-eyed man didn't answer him, instead he was glaring at the screen of his phone before swearing profusely.

"Son of bitches", tucking away the device he defied the shaking and started walking. "I thought you were in a hurry?" They all broke in to a stumbling run, following the super-spy as he descended stair after stair, leading them to a basement level. The combined power of Thor and Steve broke down the metal door with ease. A short corridor followed by another door. This one with an emblem on it. Rogers inhaled sharply when he saw it, paleing. A red skull and eight arms. Hydra. In one swing with the shield the soldier broke the lock and stormed in. It was horrible. Men and women in white clothing stood surrounding a strapped down body. They had opened him up, a bonesaw hovered over the chest. Mayhem followed as the Avengers fell upon the Hydra members. Thankfully Bruce managed to keep calm enough that he didn't hulk out. Together with Tony they hurried to the poor boy. Banner hurriedly began working on putting everything back together the best he could. Loki's healing should be able to take it after that. Rounding the screen the engineer saw his kid. Pale faced, tear-streaked cheeks, haunted eyes and bone-deep exhaustion.

"Kid? Hey, Loki... can you hear me?" Green eyes flickered, searching. When they fell upon him, more tears streamed down the white face. Tentatively Tony laid a gentle hand on his forehead, the teen felt to cold and was sweating.

"Tony?" It was one of the most heartbreaking sounds he had ever heard. Hope, fear and disbelief folded into one tiny whine of pain, of longing.

"I'm here Loki, I'm here. We are going to take you home, alright. We are going home." Tony felt more than saw the small nod. As the screen was moved and the restraints removed all tension seemed to seep from his body. Exhausted beyond endurance the kid feel into a deep sleep. Fury had an ambulance take them back to the Tower and even called an independent doctor. He was clearly livid about finding Hydra hiding within Shield. It was Pepper who called Loki's school once they returned, telling them the kid had become sick and wouldn't return to school for a while. Due to the obvious kidnapping they probably knew it was a lie but accepted the explaination anyway. Tony sat by the young god's bedside, trying to not breakdown completetly.

"You need rest", Pepper squeezed his shoulder. "It has been an exhausting day."

"They treated him like a thing, something they could do what they wanted with."

"You saved him, surely that is enough?"

"IT IS NOT ENOUGH!" breathing harshly the billionair tried to get himself under control. "They took  _my_ kid, they hurt  _my_ kid. He is  _my kid_ and they put him through hell."

"Tony... you are not his father, he is not your son..."

"Says who?"

"Everyone I would say, including the law."

The law, who cared about the law. And what about 'everyone'. Loki was  _his_ kid. It didn't matter that he was a god, that he had been reincarnated by some mystery ladies. Loki was his  _son._

* * *

 

He wished he could wash away his memories as easily as he washed away the taste of sleep from his mouth. It was early, barely dawn. A week since Loki had been abducted and rescued. Honestly, it was sheer luck that they had managed to get to his aid as quickly as they did. What if the culprit had been Doom or AIM? Not that Hydra was any better. He knew all to well what Hydra could do. A memory of Bucky strapped to a table in a murky lab floated to the surface, Steve pushed it down. The kid was alive and had been retrived within the day. They had not had enough time to do any really gruesome experiments. What they had done was quite enough already. A muffled scream reached his ears. With his enhanced hearing he easily located the sound. It came from Loki's bedroom. Opening the door softly he saw the teen trashing in his sleep, clearly caught in a nightmare. Steve gently shook his shoulder.

"Loki?" he said softly. "Loki, it's okay. It's okay." Stilling the god slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Steve he began crying, pitiful sobs filled with jumbled emotions. Lifting the god of mischief onto his lap and wrapping his arms around was a given. Waiting for the tears to run their course. His Ma had always said that keeping your feelings on the inside only made them rot. Hurting even more when you finally got them out. Better to allow them out so you could begin healing. If a shoulder and a warm embrace could help with that, it was a small thing to do. So, Loki was allowed to press his face into Steve's shoulder while having a death-grip on his shirt. The soldier ran a soothing hand along his back and murmured softly. It took perhaps a quarter of an hour for the tears to dry up and another quarter for the young god to calm down completetly. 

"Steve?" the raspy voice was painful to hear.

"Yes?"

"Was I tortured in my former life?" the question took him by suprise and he felt chilled to his core when he heard it.

"Loki? Why are you asking?" he asked.

"When they... to me... I felt something. It came from the deepest and darkest part of my soul. An echo of pain and suffering. I felt such intense pain and horrible grief. It was just a moment but it felt longer..."

"That... I..."

"Please Steve... Was I tortured in my former life? I need to know."

Taking a shaking breath the soldier held the thin body closer to his chest. Another breath before he answered. "Yes. I don't know the details but in your old incarnation you were tortured to the point of madness and beyond. I'm so sorry Loki. I wished you didn't have to live with that."

"My former self... he was very lonely I think. Broken."

"Yes, I believe he was", Steve agreed. "But you are not going to become like that."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you have all of us with you. And we will be here for you for as long as we live. You will never have to fear lonliness." At this Loki snuggled closer into his embrace, taking a deep breath. Without thinking the soldier pressed a kiss to the teen's temple. His heart did a little lurch. Hearing the little sigh of contentment in response to the kiss did nothing to calm his suddenly quickly beating heart. He couldn't possibly be... right? Right? Swallowing he tried not to think to hard about how good it felt holding Loki in his arms.

* * *

 

The lawyer looked at him in disbelief. In front of him was a small pile of documents. On top was the documents that would give Loki proper legal status as a citizen of the United States of America, complete with a formal birthday and social security number. With those he would officially exist. The second set of documents were adoptions papers, already properly filled and signed. Loki had been assigned the age of sixteen and when the adoption went through he would officially become Tony's son. The school already used Stark as a last name, now it would be official. As the only known familiy member Thor had approved of this course of action, even if he didn't have any sway legally.

"Am I really to believe that  _The_ Tony Stark, Iron Man, is going to adopt a teenager as his son?" the lawyer said. "A kid that is currently residing in the country illegally."

"That part is just a technicality and I don't care what you believe, just make it happen." Tony said and left shortly after. Sometimes being a multi-billionair had it perks, it only took the man a week to process both the application of citizenship and the adoption. Apparently the attorney realised who the documents was actually refeering to and had them approved after confirming with Fury that yes, it was  _that_ Loki and that that Loki had been reborn. Somehow. They didn't even bother making a background check or looking into his financial situation before approving. Why would they? He was Tony Stark.

"Hey, kiddo?" he walked into the living room. Loki was still jumpy and was recovering from trauma, which was no wonder. They had decided he should remain home for a while yet before going back to school. The teen looked at him as he sat down on the sofa, sliding the folder over to the kid. Face showing open curiosity the god opened the folder and quickly read through the documents. When he came to the adoption papers he stilled. Staring silently. Then he slowly looked at the engineer.

"Tony?" he said, voice wobbling. "This... is this... you..."

"You can call me dad if you like kid, congrats, you are a Stark now. And we will be Stark men in our own way." In seconds he had his arms full of a norse god that was sobbing. Then he said the most amazing word Tony had ever heard in his life.

"Dad."


	9. Chapter 9

The day Loki returned to school, everyone was buzzing. He had been absent for almost two months. Theories flew through the corridors. All they had heard from the teachers was that he had been in an accident but some students claimed he had been kidnapped. Liam thought kidnapping wasn't out if the question for a kid who lived with the Avengers. He didn't see his friend until he walked into the classroom, head bent and listless. Loki sat down at first empty chair he found, still completely apathetic. Mr. Farrow entered and glanced at the dark-haired teen but didn't say anything. After going through some general stuff he started the lesson. At one point he asked the guy a question.

"Loki, who minted the famous quote 'to be or not be'?" he said. The teen wasn't even looking at him, his eyes glued to the table top. Farrow let him be and continued the lesson without comment. By now it was pretty obvious Liam's buddy was not okay. Unfortunately he didn't get the chance to talk to him until P.E. after lunch. They were throwing hoops, pairing off and taking turns.

"Hi man, good to see you", Liam said as they began throwing the ball. Loki nodded in acknowledgement but still didn't say anything. "I was worried something bad had happened but with Avengers, it can't have been to bad. Right?" Wrong it seemed. His friend flinched and looked agitated. Quickly the black boy assured the other that anything bad was obviously bad bad. That calmed him somewhat and after a few more throws he spoke softly.

"Tony adopted me, formally. Now I'm Loki Stark for real."

"That's great bro. But what about your biological parents? You never talk about them."

"I don't have any. I was brought into the world by the Norns and was reincarnated into a younger and different version of my old self."

"Who are the no... nor...?"

"The Norns, the three goddesses of fate. They spin every thread throughout Yggdrasil. Mortal and god alike. Only, gods souls are immortal. When they die they are reincarnated. Supposedly my old self was wrongfully executed and had suffered a great injustice, which caused the Norns to intervene. That's very rare."

"So... who was your old self?"

"The god of mischief, adopted son of Odin and adoptive brother of Thor, born to Laufey, king of the Jotun though raised on Asgard as the second prince."

Suddenly Mike was standing just beside them with a wide grin on his face. Not a pleasant one. He had the attention of the whole class as he shouted. "Crazy dude here thinks he's a god. I bet he was looked up at the loon bin", he got in Loki's face. "You are a little liar and a loony. First the Avengers and now a god. Are you that crazy for attention?"

_BANG_

They stared. The basketball in his hand had been flattened. Which shouldn't be possible. Green eyes flared, the guy was livid. With a small explosion all the lights in the gym went out. In the darkness Loki seemed to glow, a shimmer of green surrounded him. He rounded on Mike, the bully took a step back by reflex. A swift movement sent the now useless ball flying, it went at such speed it went straight through the window, spraying glass. Green smoke was now clearly visible, curling around the teen's form. Suddenly his claims didn't sound so crazy.

"You think this is fun?" Loki hissed. "Picking on people? Acting all superior. You know nothing. You are but an ant in the universe yet believing yourself to be its purpose." Mike went flying. Skidding along the floor. Shocked but not hurt. The air around the raging teen shimmered and his clothes changed. Even Liam swallowed thickly. That looked a lot like magic, something his friend had claimed he could do from the beginning. And Liam hadn't believed him.

"You want to know?" the young... god... said. "You want to know what happened to me? I was drugged, abducted, strapped to table and then they  _cut me open_." The last was a high pitched scream. "They kept me awake as they played with my innards. Cracking my ribcage open, touching my heart." Tears were streaming down his face, voice growing thicker and thicker. "It hurt... I... I..." too late Liam realised his friend was having a panic attack. Which caused things to defy gravity. Anything not bolted down floated up in the air. Loki dropped to his knees, gasping for air, hyperventilating. A door opened to the gym.

* * *

 

He knew it had been to early to send the kid back to school but Natasha had overruled them. Thankfully Loki had agreed to wear a special made wristband that would alert Tony of any problem. When the beeping started he didn't waste one second before summoning his suit and fly to the school. Seeing the teen on his knees with a full blown panic attack he was glad he had come so quickly. Without hesitation he marched in and drew his son into his arms. 

"It's okay Loki, just breath with me. In and out. In and out. That's good." Slowly the young god calmed down. His out of control magic retreated, causing random objects to drop. Which would have been funny under different circumstances. His son had not made a move to separate, still clinging to the engineer. Other teens were staring at the pair wild eyed. "Do you want to go home?" Loki nodded and allowed himself to be helped onto his feet. He looked exhausted and fragile, still holding Tony's shirt in a hard grip. It was a quick walk to the parking lot and soon they were flying back to the Tower with the suit. The perfect person was sitting in the sofa. At least in his opinion. Steve looked up and seemed to understand the situation. Loki was already walking the short distance and cuddled up against the soldier. Natasha didn't like the god's obvious affections but Tony could see that his boy was truly in love with Rogers. And if it gave him a sense of security, why take it away. Besides, Romanoff might act like Loki's mom but she wasn't. Legally, Tony was his guardian and was responsible for his well-being. She cared but lacked the gentleness the kid needed after a traumatic experience. It was probably time the billionaire set some boundaries. 

* * *

 

It wasn't that he didn't like witnessing confrontations, he just felt uncomfortable doing so. Loki was pressed against his side, body folded, fast asleep. He didn't seem bothered by the raised voices. Again, Steve tried to ignore how good it felt to have the tiny Trickster cuddled close to him. Bruce had fled the room once the shouting started and Thor was away on some kind of event.

"No, you need to listen Natasha. Loki is MY son. His well-being is my responsibility and I have the say of how to go about it", Tony snarled.

"Stop thinking you are the only one who cares, Stark. He is my kid too", Romanoff said grimly.

"Except he is not, you might act like his mother but when it comes down to it you are not."

"And you are his father?"

"That's what the adoption meant. I'm his father and his legal guardian. I'm willing to work with you, any of you, for his sake. But you don't have the final say, I do. He was not ready to go back. And he could clearly use more support to overcome the trauma. Proper help."

"Like the kind you are giving yourself? Don't be a hypocrite Stark. It's unseemly. The kid is strong, he just needs some pushing to get there. He will get over it."

"And this is why I don't want you to make decisions for him. Do you understand how much this hurt him? It wasn't just physical pain, Natasha. It was torture. Remember that his former self was killed by having his heart ripped out? After having suffered prolonged torture before that? That pain, that fear is still there. I can't have you make decisions that clearly isn't to his benefit."

There were some more arguing and shouting. Silently, Steve agreed with Tony. Loki needed more time and it was obvious that he needed patience. Mindlessly he threaded the black hair with his fingers, not paying attention to the happy little sigh this got from the sleeping teen. A slam was heard and shortly after Tony sauntered over and sat down in the sofa. He looked at the pair knowingly. Embarrassed the soldier shifted and tried saying something.

"It's okay, Cap. I won't get on your case."

"Tony... I..."

"Seriously, it's fine. I know you won't do anything bad and seeing that he feels safe around you I feel at ease as well."

"You are his dad though."

"To a teenaged god. I don't want to control his or be overbearing. He doesn't need that. I never want him to think that he needs to seek my approval. That he is not good enough or intelligent enough to make his own choices. Therefore, it's fine. Just don't break his heart, alright."

Something about the conversation felt strangely disjointed, as if they were talking about two different things. Loki had laid down on his lap, still asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

He would have laughed. If that had not been something his dad would have done and therefore he didn't. Still, it was both ridiculous and silly. Loki was clearly in love with Steve and Steve clearly felt something similar for Loki. Yet both were convinced that the other one was not interested in them that way. Even after Tony had practically given Cap the go ahead, the soldier still thought it was one-sided. Ah, well. Up to them to figure out. His job was to keep the rest out it. Especially Natasha, who was rather cross with him at the moment.

"Look, the only way you could legally become his mom is if you were married to me", Tony told the spy. "And I think we both know that's a horrible idea." She had not answered him and backed off after Clint had spoken to her. Which allowed the archer to return to the Tower. For now.

Not to surprisingly Loki had recovered more speedily without the pressure to return to school. It also turned out that part of his reluctance was because of a bully. The guy couldn't do very much to the young god and normally it wouldn't be a bother. But with his nerves still being raw and his mind still healing it was another factor causing him stress. Then Tony learnt that the students and almost every teacher believed he was lying about who he was. That he lived with the Avengers, that he had magic, that he was a god. Talking it over with Bruce they figured that the teens had not seen and remember the same amount during the Pause as the adults. And most people had never seen Loki in his former life and therefore didn't associate the teen with the former villain. Surprisingly the solution came from Thor.

"Can't we just show them?" he asked in confusion. "If they doubt my brother's words, wouldn't it be simple to just prove it? I remember that marbled friend of Loki believing he lived here after it was shown to him."

"We can't invite a whole school to the Tower", Bruce protested. "Especially not teenagers."

"Why don't we go to the school then? Stark, you are his father, surely it would be acceptable for you to visit. And we are the Avengers, why wouldn't they want us to visit?"

It was pure genius. Simple but oh so good. Didn't take more than one phone call to Mrs. Green - who had liked being called 'miss' - and the whole thing was immediately approved. The principal almost chirped of excitement at the idea. Telling him to let her know which day would be suitable once they had everything ready.

"You are surprisingly unfazed by Stark being Loki's dad", Romanoff noted, addressing the Thunderer. The big blonde just smiled.

"Lady Natasha, my brother was adopted by my father in his past life and has never been my brother of blood. Stark cares for my brother dearly and is proving to be a good father. It would be churlish of me to grumble because they have become father and son when Loki has once more accepted me as a brother."

Yeah, like Tony wouldn't have talked to the god of Thunder/big brothers before going ahead and adopting the kid. He didn't fancy getting his head smashed in by a hammer. Did she think he was an idiot?

"So, folks. When are we going to give a high school worth of kiddos a fit with our awesomeness?"

* * *

 

Assembling the whole school in the gym was not how Farrow had anticipated his morning to look like. Thankfully he only had to worry about his own class and only one was missing. He didn't know what had happened but both Fritz and Mrs. Green had pressured the teachers to leave him be. Not surprising from the principal but very surprising from the VP. Rows upon rows of kids were facing the stage. Then the whole faculty as well, including janitors and the kitchen staff.

Suddenly the light was turned of and Back in black began playing over the speakers. The stage lights blazed on, stepping out was none other than  _the_ Tony Stark himself. Complete with fancy suit and sunglasses, doing a little dance to the music. Looking very, very smug.

"Hello everyone, how are you? You probably already know this but I am Tony Stark. Iron Man, philanthropist, billionaire and super hero", the man said without looking embarrassed at all. "Oh, and if you think I came alone we should hurry up and introduce the rest."

One after another the Avengers walked up on stage, in full costume. Except the Hulk, instead Bruce Banner walked awkwardly out looking out of place. Seeing Captain America even Farrow had to admit he started feeling like a little kid. The guy was his childhood hero. Thor in real life was even bigger than expected, all bulging muscles and a mane of golden blonde hair. Each of them talked a bit about their lives, mentioning things they were proud of, felt guilty about, wish they hadn't done or done differently and if there were something they wished they could change.

"I watched my best friend fall from a train down a ravine", Captain America said. "Two kids from Brooklyn trying to do the right thing. When I put that plane in the ice I didn't expect to come out of it alive. But here I am and don't want to waste my second chance."

"I regret not being a better brother, for centuries I stood by while my younger brother was ridiculed and struggled for acceptance. After watching him fall into a wormhole I thought my heart would never be whole. Yet it was realising at his death just how deeply I failed him that truly broke my heart. Loki wasn't always the easiest brother to have but he was loyal, loving and so very intelligent", Thor told them. The name of his brother had many turning to whisper with their neighbour. "I had to watch the Norns lift his body from my father's grasp, leaving us with nothing to remember him by. Then, just some meekly months ago the Norns brought us a miracle. They had chosen to grant Loki a new life. Bereft of his memories and now a youth in his teen he was nonetheless alive. Free from the bitterness that had followed him. My brother that I grew up with is gone but the Loki of now is still my beloved brother."

Stark talked about being bullied for being different, having a father that barely bothered with him and selling weapons. He talked briefly about the events that changed everything and didn't go in to details. "You don't want to know. It was bad. Really bad. That's all you should know, I still have nightmares more than five years later." Then he talked a bit about being Iron Man and about being a billionaire. Some of his anecdotes were very down to earth and funny. Especially when he introduced one of his bots. "This is Dum-E. He has a basic A.I. but he is also clumsy and not very intelligent. Built him while I attended MIT, was like nineteen. Hey hey, put down the fire extinguisher. Do I look like I am on fire? Nuh, ah ah. Good. Now shash, go back to your box. What are you... oh, you found a ball. Silly thing. Maybe Cap can play with later, now go." The whole gym was roaring with laughter. Which likely was the aim. It made these bigger than life people more human.

"Right. Okay. I would also like to introduce my son", a hush fell. "Adopted son but my son. Loki Stark, god of mischief and sorcerer extraordinaire." Out walked the very same Loki Farrow had been seeing in his class. He was dressed differently. A green coat with a white collar, a shirt that seemed to be metallic, tight pants and high boots. On his head he wore some kind of crown or tiara. In one hand he was holding a staff. The teen was beeming and hugged Stark in a way that showed it was not the first time. Then, Loki stretched out his arm and a brilliant orb of light emerged from his hand. He tossed it and it sailed leisurely through the gym, landing in the lap of Liam Winter who took it with an amazed expression.

There were no question about it. That was magic and Farrow had greatly underestimated his student. On so many levels. Life was about to get interesting.


	11. Chapter 11

Getting his test back made him look at the paper in confusion. After the bell rang he showed it to Liam who agreed it was weird. School had become less of a struggle after the very flashy reveal by the Avengers and Tony in particular. With everyone aware of his abilities and his identity no one accused him of lying. The people who wanted to hang out with him did so because they genuinely wanted to be his friend. As for the teachers, they had a mixed response. Some attempted to act unfazed while others embraced it, even resisting his aid in some lessons to show stuff better. Then there were Miss Tyler. For some reason she didn't like him. This didn't bother him but it didn't really feel right either. The school day ended and he teleported to the Tower.

"Dad... did I do something wrong on my maths test?" he asked Tony who was fiddling with his tablet. Looking up the engineer took the paper. Stared at it and then at Loki.

"Why did you get an F? All the answers are correct", he said.

"I don't know... I did use the bracelets during the testing so I didn't use magic..."

"You don't need to use magic for this, you are a much higher level. This is what? Elementary school level for you?"

"Something like that... I don't think Miss Tyler likes me very much"

"Doesn't give her the right to do something like this! I will talk with her."

* * *

 

Why, oh why, had Mrs. Green have to go on vacation this week? Sitting in a room with Mr. Farrow, Ms. Tyler and Tony Stark wasn't what Fritz considered a pleasant time. Especially since the billionaire was pissed. The reason was in the middle of the table, and as much as he hated to admit it, Stark had a pretty good excuse for his anger.

"Now here is what I don't understand. How is it that a kid who is at the level of someone with a masters in engineering gets an F on a test, especially with everything answered correctly. Can  _Someone_ explain this to me", he said. Farrow looked uncomfortable and muttered about magic. "That's an excuse, not an explaination. The kid doesn't need to use magic to answer, even if he did use magic he would still need to know the answers. Besides, he used the bracelets that would have alerted the teacher to any use of magic. Per agreement. So how did he get an F."

"Miss Tyler", Fritz said. "Care to explain to Mr. Stark why you failed a student that by all evidence didn't get a single question wrong?"

"That boy is a menace", the old woman said. "Do really expect me to sit back and let him wreck havoc?"

Stark slammed his fist into the table. "Do not speak about my kid like that. He doesn't have an evil bone in his body. If he turns into a menace it will be because of people like you, making him feel useless and worthless. And I refuse to let that happen. Mr.Fritz, I don't want this woman teaching my son. Find him another teacher or remove it from his curriculum. It is to simple for him anyway."

"I understand how you are feeling Mr. Stark and I will see what I can do. However, I understood that you wanted Loki to attend our school to develop his social skills. Do think he would truly benefit from being separated from his peers like this?"

"Compared to feeling like shit because his teacher doesn't like him? Heck yes, I do. Look academically he could sit down for the SAT and get full pot. Highest possible. What he needs is learning about morals, right and wrong, what it means to do good. He has been learning at a very good pace but there is still a lot of things we can't teach. Because we are the Avengers and sometimes has to do things that in other situations would be considered bad. He can learn that kind of stuff here."

Fritz leaned back, thinking. When he initially met the young god he had not associated him with the man he had seen during the Pause. Now knowing, he could somewhat see what the billionaire was aiming for. The man Loki had been was a man that had been broken over and over until he had no more to mend. Loneliness, obstructed, bullied and finally tortured. All mental fortitude gone. With a new life, a new chance, the god could become something else. Someone else. And to teach him how to think about morals... right... They did have something useful.

"May I suggest Mr. Stark that he starts taking philosophy? We have a very good teacher and giving your son the tools he needs to create a sense of how he views the world, how he wants to view it, is probably better in the long run."

The engineer thought about it for a while. "Yeah, that sounds good. You could include language classes, kid got All-Speak but it doesn't hurt if he doesn't have to rely upon it. However, this woman will not teach him or handle him for even a second. Got it?"

"Yes, I understand." And Miss Tyler would be reprimanded later. Poor Mr. Farrow looked like he wished he wasn't included in this meeting. Still, they should probably do an evaluation of Loki's academic level and adjust his lessons accordingly. No point in having a  bored teenager.

* * *

 

Steve was always so comfortable warm, it made him feel safe and content snuggling up to him. After the time the soldier woke him from his nightmare he had been allowed to sit very close. Sometimes even in his lap. It was kind of painful, wanting someone this much and not being able to tell them. He didn't want to get rejected or forced to distance himself. Sure, Tony said it would be fine and while he trusted his dad he felt this was different. Still, maybe it was worth taking the plunge. Surely it was better than heartache.

Loki glanced at the blonde man. Nothing to bold, something small. From that he could guage the reaction. Leaning forward he kissed Steve's cheek. To long to be a small peck but short enough to not be awkward. The soldier jumped in surprise and a blush started spreading on his face. A blush that felt very familiar to his own whenever he thought of Steve. This was a peck, but it was placed on the lips and felt incredible. 

But perhaps he shouldn't have teleported to his room out of embarrassment...


	12. Chapter 12

The pipette hovered over the test tube as he carefully dripped drop after drop into the solution, monitoring the reaction. A soft knock came on the door. Only two people in the Tower did soft instead of barging on or banging on the door before barging in anyway. Setting down the pipette he called to his guests. Steve opened the door, looking mortified.

"Bruce... could I talk with you? I feel like there is no one else who would be willing to..."

"Of course, come in." The soldier moved with care towards his work table. "What's the matter?"

"I... I..." Rogers took a deep breath. "Loki kissed me. On the cheek." Unexpected but certainly gutsy of the kid. He had held out for quite a while.

"You didn't like it?"

"That's the problem... I... did... oh my gosh, Bruce. I feel horrible. Even more so because he pecked my lips", groaning Steve hid his face in his hands. The scientist was truly impressed by the kid. "I think... I think I'm in love with him..."

Nodding sagely he was whooping internally for Loki, congratulating him. Not many were this lucky. "He probably knows, that's why he played such a prank on me",  _wait_ , "that is the only reason Loki would kiss me." Bruce facepalmed with a loud smack, how could someone be this dense? It had to be a special kind of stupid. No wonder Steve was still single, he probably failed to notice anyone flirting with him.

"And why would he do that?"

"Because... well... he is probably disgusted by me."

"Steve, Loki has had a crush on you for months. The only one who didn't notice was you, even Thor noticed it. Loki is not the kind to take love lightly, you know that."

"He... has a crush on me?"

"A pretty big one, although by now I'm sure his feelings are stronger. If he knew you felt the same he would be on cloud nine."

"But... Bruce, it is  _wrong_! I'm in love with a teenager, an underage kid! That's just..."

"His body is that of a teenager", the scientist agreed, "but his soul is ancient. According to Thor it is probably older than his own. He might have forgotten his previous lives but there are still imprints. The stronger the feelings the stronger the imprint and there is no stronger feeling than love."

"Why are you trying to talk me into this? Encouraging me?" the soldier had an anguished expression. Bruce was quiet for a moment before answering.

"Did you know I used to be engaged?" Steve shook his head. "It was before the Hulk. Her name is Betty Ross, her father is a US military general. After my accident he was the one who tried to hunt me down, he never really approved of me. But I nearly killed her at one point, as the Hulk. There is no going back for us. If Loki just any other teenager I would agree with you and try to calm things down. But he is not and if he can know love at least once, romantic love, he might have a chance to become a truly good person."

"What about the others? They can't possibly support this!"

"The only one against it is Natasha. Thor is actually quite hopeful, saying his brother never got to feel his emotions being returned. It was another thing that made him bitter, he loved deeply only to be rejected. So, if you really are in love with Loki, I think you should go and talk to him. No one is telling you to marry him or do something you are not comfortable with. But there is no point for you to suffer in silence when you don't have a reason to."

"But what could I possibly say?"

"The truth? And ask him to give you the same."

Nodding thoughtfully the soldier stood, thanked him and left. Bruce shook his head as he picked up the pipett again and then leaned forward to look at the formula with interest. Noting down this change he mused that there would be quite a bit of chaos if the two actually got together. In some ways he pitied Steve, he had been alive for almost hundred years but in every other way he was a young man in his twenties. One young enough that he and the god of mischief wasn't that far apart, especially considering age was kind of redundant for someone who was reborn as a teenager. He added another drop and furrowed his brow, why did it do that?

* * *

 

Standing outside the small Trickster's room he felt hesitant. Was he really going to do this? He felt the now all to familiar ache in his heart. The only one able to draw it out was Loki. Not some past version, only the one he was now. Steve was aware that the boy had burdens, having witnessed them himself, and a legacy that wasn't particularly good or pleasant. Despite this that pale face would blossom into the most adorable of smiles, giving light to his whole face. A kindness that made the god reach out to the outsiders, pulling them close. And hundreds of other small things that had made him fall in love with the teen god. Sighing he realised he couldn't stall any longer. So he knocked on the door.

"Loki? It's me, can I come in?" he heard something like a squeek and then the door opened slowly, revealing the Trickster. A furious blush coloured his face and he seemed to be fumbling with the door. "Can I come in?"

"Yes", it was definintely a squeek. Loki jumped back from the door and hurriedly sat on his bed, leaving room for the soldier. White teeth nibbled at pink lips and Steve had to swallow hard to keep himself focused. He sat down beside the teen, feeling nervous and out of his depth. Not that the god did any better, the blush had disappeared and now he seemed scared instead. His pale face becoming paler by the second. The soldier suddenly understood why.

"I'm not angry with you, this isn't a lecture", he said. "You surprised me but I'm not angry." That seemed to calm Loki down, he peered curiously at the super soldier. sensing there was more. Unfortuneatly Steve had never been very tactful.

"Bruce told me you are in love with me", he said, seeing how the small god froze. Eyes widening in horror, mouth slack with disbelief. "Was he wrong?" Black-haired head swivelled in a hurried shake.

"I didn't think anyone knew..." he mumbled, face once more looking more like a strawberry than a white lily. "I'm sorry..."

"No. No... please don't say that you are sorry... as I said, I'm not angry. Simply, conflicted."

"Why? Because I kissed you?"

"Because an adult man isn't supposed to be in love with a teenager." Steve watched as those gorgeous green eyes grew to the size of saucers, a light of wonder in them. Tentatively Loki climbed up on the bed and started moving closer, gaze not leaving the soldier. There were hope in them, wonderful and horrible hope. Hope that the blonde knew he should quench but couldn't make himself do.

"Steve..." the teen was inches from his face. "Does that mean you like me? The same way I do you?" That turned out the limit of the super soldier's restraint. Reaching out with both hands he held the pale face gently carefully and kissed the young god. A real, proper, kiss, exposing him completetly. It felt good but more than that it felt right and he wished that guilt could be swallowed by sweet ache in his chest. He released Loki to gauge his response, the god of mischief _did_ look like he was on cloud none. Without any hesitation he threw his arms around Steve's neck, pressing their lips back together. Closing his arms around the small frame he felt the Trickster melt into his embrace.

* * *

 

"Jarvis, where is the kid?" Tony said while freeing himself from his way to tight suit. Why did men's wear have to be so uncomfortable?

" _The young master is in his room, sir._ "

"Is he doing I should know about or something I'm better off not knowing?"

" _In this case it might be slightly uncertain, sir._ "

"Ooookay... let me make some guesses. Answer only yes or no. Is he naked?"

" _No, the young master is fully clothed._ "

"Alright. Is he alone? Is he with a friend?"

" _No, sir, the young master is in the company of Captain Steve Rogers._ " Tony stopped, mind blank for a moment. Loki was in his room and so was Steve? Sure, he had seen right through Cap when he tried to hide how adorably in love he was with the young god while missing his hints completetly. Something most have clicked at last. Besides, his son was fully clothed. Not that he had any right to chew someone out about sex.

"Is  _Steve_ naked?"

" _No, sir. He is also properly clothed._ "

"Okay, so they are just talking then."

" _Not quite, sir. There is some... snogging... involved._ "

His cup of coffee stops on its way to his mouth. Snogging? Then he starts laughing. Finally the two lovebirds has gotten together. He doesn't intend to stop them. Steve might get a proper shovel talk though. No playing with his son's feelings. Not that he worries about that from Captain America but it is expected.


	13. Chapter 13

"Why did I allow this?"

"Calm down, Stark. You agreed we should know his limitations."

"That might be the case, Romanoff, but I'm still allowing you to point a gun at my son."

"Yes, we wouldn't want to put him in a potentially dangerous situation." 

Tony gave the spy a glare, to his side Steve shifted. No doubt feeling guilty. Natasha had screamed at them for at least half an hour and the at the soldier for another thirty minutes. In the end it was Loki who got her to stop when he got all teary eyed at her reaction. No one in their right mind trusted Romanoff completely but they could trust her to not wanting the teen being hurt. Which was the reason they trusted her to test the young god's durability without fearing her retaliating. The truth of the matter was that only she disapproved of the relationship between Steve and Loki, the rest were fine with it. That the super soldier had taken a shovel talk from both Tony and Thor with solemnity, promising to be a gentleman, had only increased his brownie points. 

"Ready kiddo? You can back out whenever, alright?"

"I will be fine, Dad", Loki said with an excited smile and sure, so far he had been fine. But Hydra had managed to secure enough vibranium to cover the tools they had used on the god. Things sharp and strong enough to cut through his skin. What kind of damage could a bullet do? Natasha raised the gun, aiming at the young god's left arm. At least her marksmanship was excellent. With a sharp sound the weapon went off. A moment later the bullet bounced off the pale skin, leaving not a single mark.

"Is it likely the arms are more durable than the rest of his body?" Steve asked Thor in a worried voice.

"Nay my friend, if anything it is the opposite. Those nefarious men used underhanded methods to harm my brother. He should be safe", the Thunderer said. "But it is well seeing my brother having a lover who worries for him."

Thankfully, the red-haired spy couldn't argue. Both because Loki was present, therefore able to hear her, and because it was Thor. It was pointless arguing with the god of thunder. He was very protective of the Trickster and if  _he_ approved there wasn't much you could do. Said Trickster practically flew into Steve's arms, hugging the soldier while grinning.

"Did you see that?"

"I did and I'm grateful you are not hurt."

"I'm a god, Steve. Takes more than that to harm me", the teen nuzzled his boyfriend happily. He was perceptive and intelligent enough to realise Cap wasn't comfortable with public displays of affection. It was also obvious that the blonde still felt guilty. So, he only used small gestures among the rest of them. A hug, some snuggly cuddles and holding hands. Not to different from a teenage romance. Rogers seemed reassured by this. Still, he did respond to the hug and the way he did so was decidedly not purely friendly. What, with arms holding the teen close and hand rubbing his ack. A soft expression on his face. Natasha sent a glare in their direction but to Tony, it looked utterly adorable. Although, there might be an other conversation they needed to have.

* * *

 

The engineer slid a small, flat package over the surface of the table. Steve picked it up and looked at his friend. He knew what it was but not why Tony was giving it to him.

"Look Cap, I know that neither you or Loki runs the risks of STDs or STIs and hopefully the kid can't get pregnant but jury's out. 1That's not the point", the billionaire said.

"Tony... I don't think..."

"Just listen, okay. You are in love, Loki is in love. Sooner or later one or both you are going to feel horny and driving the stick will not be enough. Heck, the kid is a teen, horny hormones galore. I guess you didn't have much opportunity back in the forties but I know from my own experience that it can be pretty wild."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want to be sure you know what you are doing when it comes down to it. What options there are, what to keep in mind, what not to do and so on."

"Are you seriously telling me to have sex with him?"

"I'm being realistic, Steve. Restraint can be stretched until it breaks. Emotion overwhelming reason. Teenagers have sex. That's just the reality. Ignoring that won't make them stop. So, I rather make sure my son are safe and with a knowledgeable partner then pretending it can't happen."

"Do you truly think so lowly of me? That I would make him..."

"No, I think you are already beating yourself up for wanting him. I know you are a good guy, Cap. A really good guy who tries to do the right thing. But you don't have to be perfect. You don't have to pretend to not being human. You love Loki, I can see it. And at some point you or him will want to be even closer. I want to make certain his first time will be something he can remember with fondness, not regret or bitterness."

Sighing, Steve allowed himself to listen despite the constant embarrassment and feelings of shame. Some of the things Stark said was... unnerving and way to intimate. People were inventive apparently, when it came to bed activities. Fantasies of doing some of those things with Loki crept into his mind, making him blush furiously. Feeling uncomfortably warm and his pants became to tight. Which, of course, Tony noticed.

"I'd say that proves my point. No one is a saint, not even Captain America."

* * *

 

Aunt Nat had been acting angry again, scowling at Dad and Steve, berating Bruce. She never turned her temper on him and that made him feel worse. He liked his aunt, but she could be a rather poor person to be around sometimes. A bit to stubborn and rigid. Not handling chaos very well. Which was why he was currently hiding in Steve's room. Loki was sitting in a corner, reading, while listening for signs of his lover coming back. Lover, boyfriend. The mere thought of those words in correlation with the soldier made him positively giddy. He tensed slightly when the apartment door opened but the footsteps belonged to the blonde.

Steve opened the door to the bedroom and stopped surprised when he spotted the young god in the corner. "Oh", he said. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Hiding from aunt Nat..."

"Huh, she's angry again I guess. I didn't think she could be that emotional. Wanna come out of the corner?" the soldier held out his hand and Loki took it, letting himself be drawn to his feet. Stumbling a bit he fell against the strong chest. At once he wrapped his arms around, drawing in that scent that spoke of  _Steve_ and sighed in contentment. Warm hands rubbed his back, drawing him closer. After a moment one hand started carding through his black hair, gently massaging his scalp. Looking up into blue eyes he felt himself blush and opened his lips slightly. Soft, soft lips captured his mouth. Loki closed his eyes, moving his arms from the soldier's waist to his neck. Eagerly kissing as he was kissed. Heart aching with love.


	14. Chapter 14

She looked like the bad guy and that bothered her. The mere look on Loki's face anytime she voiced her opinion on the whole thing broke her heart. Yet, wouldn't any normal adult react in a similar way if an adult started dating a teenager. No matter the emotions involved. It was not about sex, she knew that but it still felt, well, wrong. Had it been Tony all of them would have exploded and almost throttle the engineer to death. So why was it fine because it was Steve? He was literally older than any of them even if he didn't look older than twenty-five. Even Thor approved. Clint didn't back her up either, he didn't do anything that could get him kicked out of the team. Again. What he truly thought he never said.

Currently cuddling in one sofa, the god and the super soldier were watching a movie. They would occasionally laugh together over something on the screen. Steve had an arm around Loki's waist, the teen leaned against him, knees drawn up. Fingers would squeeze slightly or a thumb rub the midsection of the youth in a way that Natasha read as possessive. Not very strong or noticeable but there nonetheless. It grated on her.

_"Gronk, pull the lever. Wrong lever!"_ The black-haired boy cackled and burrowed closer to the blonde.

"They are so random", he said, still amused.

"True, Disney has come a long way since my childhood but it is good to see some humour."

"So stiff!" Loki poked at Steve. "It's okay to just laugh, you know. No need to explain or make excuses." He then proceeded to give the soldier a quick kiss on his cheek. A soft smile played on the blonde's lips and he rested his head gently against black hair. Absent minded he kissed the young god's hairline. Natasha could agree it was rather cute but she still didn't like it. To say so made the teen god sad however. Tony had already chewed her out for making his son cry, her behaviour causing him to think he was not allowed to be in love. Or worse, not worthy of love. What did they want her to do? Not be honest with them? Pretend she think it's okay?

Sighing softly she walks out of the room, leaving the two to it.

* * *

 

The end credits of the movie rolls and both of them stretch out before settling back together. He feel slightly ashamed but Steve is actually grateful Natasha left. Her constant disapproval is starting to wear him out. Sure, it was out if a desire to protect and he can totally understand where she is coming from. It is just tiring, being made to feel guilty at all times. Cool lips press against his cheek, he turns to meet green eyes. Loki is still curled up on the sofa, legs under him, leaning against his shoulder. Steve caresses the pale face with gentle fingers, marvelling at the inherent beauty of the young god. Especially when his eyes shine. The teen allows himself to be guided forward until their lips meet. After some exchanged kisses they start to grew hungry, heated. With a huge amount of effort Steve back away before he is ravishing his young lover right on the sofa.

"Why'd you stop?" Loki says with a pout. Chuckling the soldier draws the youth into his arms, holding him tightly. He didn't think he would ever appreciate Tony's Talk with him but it has actually helped him have restraint. Waiting until both of them have reached the point when they are ready. Not just giving in to the heat of the moment. But since the engineer doesn't need another ego boost he won't say anything.

"I just want to take things slow", he tells the teen god. "No rushing." He gets a dubious look. Loki is convinced he holds back because of the age gap. Which is partially true but not the only reason. To reassure the young god he gives him a loving kiss. He wish he knew a way to let his lover know just how much he loves him. Recently Loki had started being plagued by insecurities. Something quite normal for a teenager but with it comes with doubts and fears. He won't speak of them, only by looking closely can you notice when he suddenly starts thinking you don't like him or there is something wrong with him.

"I know you find it frustrating, Loki", Steve said. "But I need time, I don't have very much experience with this kind of thing." That seems to mollify the teen as he huffs a bit before climbing into the soldier's lap, cuddling close. There are a lot of things this version of Loki didn't get to experience. Having a childhood, growing up and slowly maturing. He didn't have that. And that limits his frame of reference, his understanding of relationships. Natasha might be angry with him but he just love this innocent teen so much that it hurts. The love is not brotherly or fatherly. Not like Thor or Tony. It is the kind of love that make your heart ache and fills you with both happiness and pain.

"I love you", he whispers to the black locks, earning a wet glance before Loki hides his face against Steve's shirt. A mumbled 'Love you' is all he can hear but it is enough.

* * *

 

Odin Borson, All-Father, king of Asgard and so on and so forth, were tired. Weary. He walked the halls of the palace, constantly haunted by memories. More than anything, he grieves. For over two years he has never stopped grieving his youngest son. The sight still gives him nightmares. How could he have let Suttung enchant him like that? True, the first time it had taken a sorcerer of Loki's calibre to stop him but why didn't his mind fight more.

Hiding in the gardens he close his remaining eye, once more thrown back to day horrible day.

_Blank faced guards drags the second prince through the crowd, chaining him down on the slab. The Trickster trashes, begs and cries, sometimes breaking down in crazed laughter. Odin is aware of his son's descent into madness and he suspect brutal torture. But he needs proof. His mind is strangely muted. Thoughts, important thoughts, gets pushed away. Leaving him placid, complacent. Unable to react to his youngest fate. Then Suttung steps forward, warning bells ring in his head but he is not capable of listening to them. His will has been taken from him. Loki recognises his adversary immediately and starts screaming, trashing harder in his chains. Even beginning a counter spell meant to bring everyone back to their senses. Odin would hold on to that last pride at his son. Suttung hits him hard, interrupting the spell._

_"I think I have had enough of your silvery tongue, Trickster", the traitor hiss. "Let's seal it away shall we?" A crude piece of iron is laying in the middle of a blazing fire, glowing red. Raising the piece Suttung grins wickedly, clearly enjoying the look of utter horror on Loki's face. Swiftly the iron is pressed to the god's face, covering the mouth. The scream is muffled but still heard easily in the quiet courtyard. Burning flesh and black smoke is visible. Odin's heart ache, only after can he make sense of it. Seeing his beloved son in so much pain, still not knowing everything he had to say to him._

_The traitor brings out a heavy knife. A hunters knife, meant to cut through skin, flesh and bone. He goes slowly, dragging it out as he digs the blade in. The ribcage snap. Only magic keeps Loki alive and awake as his heart is cut out of his chest. His whole body is twisted in pain, green eyes becoming dull. At last Suttung is holding the still beating heart. Caresses it and plays with it, knowing the pain he causes. He even pretends to take bites of the muscle before laughing._

_"Want this back? I'm surprised it isn't black, you know. Or maybe blue, like the disgusting little Frost Giant you are", he taunts. "To bad you are Jotun. Otherwise I might've actually have eaten it. Grilling it over open fire, still beating. Keeping you alive till I bit into it. But I think this is just as good." Slowly he squeezes the heart, the pain and horror on Loki's face becomes even more prominent. At last the organ bursts. The Trickster goes slack. Eyes unseeing. Chest still and empty. Suttung only gets to gloat for a moment. The sword of Forsetti pierce the traitor. Killing him._

_Fog lifts from Odin's mind and everything crashes down on him. Gungnir slips from his hand and he can't hold back the cry. His boy. His beautiful, intelligent boy who used to look on the world with so much wonder. Butchered like an animal for no other reason than revenge. The worst part is knowing there will be people congratulating him on the disposal of the_ Jotun _without caring for his feeling. Holding his son's cold body in his arms, he cries, wishing he could give his life in exchange. So that Loki could live once more._

Shaking himself the All-Father push the memory to the side. Not ignored but certainly less prominent. He needs to get away, he realise. To recharge, to find a sense of stability. He can't be away for long but with Frigga's help he could pretend to be in Odin-sleep. That should give him time. Thor is still on Midgard. It would be good, seeing his living child. Spend some time being a father instead of king. Heimdall would have to be told of course and Frigga given the authority to rule in his absence. But the thought of leaving Asgard for a while makes him feel better. And he should blend in better on Midgard, being one in the crowd.

Rising, the king walked to talk with his queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone asked me how I can write so much so quickly. And I was like 🤔😄🙄😏🤔😅😐😑😣😥😒😧🤷😌☺😘😁🤔😞🙃
> 
> Yeah, I don't know either...
> 
> Hey, tell me a short story using only emoji 😆


	15. Chapter 15

He was not completely clueless about Midgard and knew how to dress appropriately. There were some leeway to be had based on his age. Anyone seeing him would chalk it up to him being an old man. Odin left Asgard through the only secret path he knew of. It was doubtful Loki even had known about it, having been shown to the All-Father millennia ago by his brother. He rarely thought of the man who had been his sworn brother, but sometimes a memory resurfaced. The path led him to a bustling street in New York City, just outside a dark alley. Clad in a plain jacket and trousers made in jeans, eye-patch simple leather instead of metal. Gungnir was with Frigga and in his hand he held Leavateinn, the weapon of his brother, disguised as a simple walking stick. In the distance he could see the tower belonging to his son's shield brother. The day was pleasant and he was in no hurry, walking leisurely. As he approached the tower the glass doors opened by themselves, letting him in to a large circular room. People were milling in different directions, heading for small eateries or small metal boxes. A large desk sat in the middle of the room. Three women stood at the circular desk, facing three different directions. They were wearing some odd kind of jewellery that they talked with while looking at some kind of screen. He approached them.

"One moment please, sir", the young woman said in a pleasant voice. Some click clacking noises then she looked at him properly. "Welcome to Stark Industries, do you have a meeting booked?"

"I'm seeking Thor Odinson", Odin said.

"Do you have a proof of identity? Driving licence, ID or passport?"

"No?" What were those things even?

"I'm sorry, sir. Without valid identification I can't send you further into the building. Would you like me relay a message to Mr. Odinson?"

"Could you perhaps ask him to see me here? If I would be allowed to wait."

"A moment, sir", the young woman started tapping again. "Front desk calling JARVIS seeking Mr. Odinson, a man is requesting his presence in the lobby." She waited for a minute before turning back to him. "He will be with you shortly, you may sit down if you want", she said while gesturing towards a padded bench. Thanking her he choose a seat close to the large glass walls, watching the humans going by. He didn't notice as a door opened to reveal his son. Nor did he see him talking to the young woman who pointed him out to Thor. Upon seeing who was waiting for him the Thunderer exclaimed.

"Father?!" Odin turned and smiled at the astonished expression. "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a father visit his son?" An odd expression flickered across the younger god's face.

"Of course Father, let me show you up." They entered one of the metal boxes and the old king stumbled slightly when it began rising. "The humans are quite inventive in their pursuit of avoiding physical exertion."

The box took them to a large, open room high up in the tower. Several people were gathered in the room, turning to look at them. It was one who caught his attention immediately. Young, innocent looking with glossy black hair and green eyes, more brilliant than an emerald. Odin lost the grip on the staff in his shock.

"Loki?"

* * *

 

The old man repeated his name, sounding disbelieving and overjoyed at the same time. There was something familiar about the silver-haired man but he couldn't quite figure out why. Thor frowned at looked at the stranger. "You didn't know, Father? I assumed it was Loki you intended to see."

"How is this possible?" old one-eye said. "I saw him die, I held him in my arms. There were no life left."

"Through the Norns' grace my brother was returned to life but he has no memories of his past life. He is now a citizen of Earth."

"Er... Thor, mind introducing us?" Tony said, stepping closer to the young Trickster.

"My apologies. Friends, this is my father Odin, King of Asgard. Father, this is Earth's mightiest heroes and my shield brothers and sister." The name did ring a bell, maybe his brother had spoken about the elder. Loki tilted his head trying to understand what they were talking about. Steve was standing close, almost like he intended to protect the young god from anything that might come at him. His dad was also kind of tense. Did they think the old man would take him away?

"Just so we are clear", the engineer said. "Loki is my kid. i have all the proper papers in order. So i don't care if you were his pops in last life, in this one, I'm his pops."

Suddenly curious Loki looked at the old king. This man had been his former self's father? Odin assured the billionair that he wouldn't take the teen away from him, only requesting that he would be allowed to see him from time to time. "I lost my son, twice. I wouldn't want anyone to experience that", he said. Slightly more calm Tony looked over at the boy.

"What do you say kiddo? Want to talk with the All-Daddy?" Thor looked horrified by the choice of words but Odin just laughed, looking strangely pleased. Curiosity won over trepidation and he nodded, sitting down on a sofa. Trodding over the old man sat down beside him. Surprisingly he placed an aged hand on Loki's cheek, the lone eye blank with tears. Again, something felt eerily familiar.

"You look a lot like my son did in his teens. Less jaded and bitter, though."

"Your son... was my past self, right."

"Yes... I have still not stopped mourning him and he died thinking I hated him."

"I don't think he beliieved you hated him... I can sometimes feel echoes of hid feelings", Loki said and the older god nodded.

"That can happen when a soul is placed in a new body without going through the process of being completely reborn. My brother used to speak at lenght about the nature of an immortal soul."

"I didn't know you had a brother", Thor saidm having seated himself nearby. "I don't think you have ever mentioned him..."

"It was long ago, in my youth. We were sworn brothers, not siblings through shared blood. Most of the mortals stories were based on him. Unfortunatley he died facinh Skadi's revenge." The old man sighed, looking even older. "I actually named your brother after him. Loki's namesake was my blood brother."

* * *

 

The young prince of Asgard met the first Trickster on a journey through Jotunheim, visiting his mother's homeland. Brown reddish hair, blue grey eyes and a wide smile. At this point there were other giants than those of frost. Loki was one of those, he was especially well-versed in magic. They became quick friends and would travel far and wide together. Odin would watch his friend get into trouble and get out of trouble. Once, when they had been captured by a group of unfriendly dwarves he used words and small tricks of magic to turn them against one another. In the end, they walked away without a scratch and far richer with the gold the dwarves had carried. Another time they accidently killed a shapeshifter who had turned into an otter. It seemed impossible to earn the wereguild but Loki came through. Steeling gold from an old, nasty, dwarf that hid himself in a stream. He also stole a cursed ring. They warned the humans not to accept the ring but since the humans didn't listen they were left to their fate.

Bor was not very fond of the Trickster, finding him irritating and causing way to much trouble. However, both Odin and Bestla was quite taken with him. After an intense battle, the two gods slashed their left palm and clasped each others hands. Becoming brothers. Loki did get up to some strange things for strange reason. Like the time he became a mare to win a debt only to end up pregnant. He had felt rather embarressed and rather lost. The foal had no human mind, even if he were very intelligent. In the end, the foal was gifted to Odin. Sleipnir would go on to become the fastest horse in the known universe. Getting tangled with Angrboda had ended poorly when the Jotun woman cursed the Trickster's children. Turning their free children into monsters and ultimatly killing the two sons Loki had with Sigyn.

For years, Odin and the Trickster were always together. They shared a strong bond and loved each other dearly. The fate of his children had made Odin's brother listless, unhappy. Unwilling to watch the normally cheerful man fall into dispair the then Crown Prince had him live in the palace. Until his death shortly after the coronation, they would share a physical bond. Another expression of the love they had for each other. They never had any romantic feelings for the other but were close nonetheless.

Hordor framed Loki for his brother Balder's death and using the excuse Skadi summoned a large, poisonous snake. In front of the whole court. Odin watched helplessly as his brother got bitten, venom flooding his veins. There were nothing that could be done to save him. It took a moon of suffering before he died, by then treated as a traitor. On the eve of his death Odin and Loki shared one last kiss. The Trickster promising his soul would not die with him.

Nearly four thousand years later he found the small Frost Giant alone in the Temple. The other Jotun had fallen victim to the plummet of Jotunheim's climate, leaving the Frost Giants to survive in the constant artic temperatures. While the baby didn't look anything like his brother it was something familiar with his energy. Frigga had insisted on naming their son Thor and he had agreed. Looking at the small boy Odin decided to honour his long gone brother by naming his youngest child after him. And just like his namesake, little Loki would turn into a huge prankster, earning the title of Trickster. Just like the man from so long ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever wondered how I get those pretty and straight paragraphs? It is simple. When you write you can choose the option of "Rich text" which allows you to format the text. That's what I do, actively choosing to have a clean layout with proper margins. Easier to read and looks far better.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... for some reason the last chapter had been marked as added March 30, which I didn't notice till I wrote this one. Why? I have no idea. This one should be up properly though and I've fixed chapter 15 to show todays date instead.
> 
> Guess I should mention there is some light, very light, sexual content in this chapter. Nothing graphic or explicit. Completetly consensual.

He was leaning against the railing of the balcony. This being the construction of Tony Stark it was of course high tech, retractable and protected against pretty much everything while also providing fresh air. The platform beneath had more space and remained a constant but if you needed some alone time this was better. Steve didn't think much when hearing the door open so he startled a bit at seeing Odin. Walking with quiet dignity the old king carried his age gracefully.

"Thor tells me you are Loki's lover", he said. The soldier shifted nervously. 

"I..." he began.

"Be at is", the old god said. "This Loki is not my son nor my brother. Even if he were either, this is not a matter I would interfere with. I saw both suffer from loneliness and derision. Seeing that he at last have found someone who can truly care for him is balm for my heart."

"His age doesn't bother you?" Steve asked and the other laughed in amusement. 

"By our standards Thor is barely out of boyhood and he has already had a string of lovers. Age and gender mattered little. Only their willingness to bed him." the soldier received a friendly pat on his shoulder. "Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants and no logic or reason can change it. You care for him and are willing to see him for who he is. It is with sorrow I have to say it rarely happened in the past."

"You really think they are the same? The man you knew and the Loki now?"

"No... not the same. They are different people, some things are similar but they are not the same person. I do, however, believe they have the same soul. The immortal soul of the Trickster is one of the oldest in the universe. Why the Norns intervened now, I don't know."

Steve looked down at the street below. The man beside him had lived for over five thousand years. It was such a huge amount of time he couldn't imagine it. Even then, their souls were even older. Carrying scars and deep memories of lives in time past. Odin sighed, looking very tired. Weary. He gave the soldier another pat on the shoulder before walking back inside. A little while later he felt two arms snake around his waist and a body pressing against his back. Smiling he caressed the hands clasped at his mid-section. Loki then slowly made his way around till they stood face to face. The young god was slightly flush, he had likely sparred with Thor, and was grinning widely.

"I won a match against Thor!" he exclaimed. "Without using magic!" The super soldier gave him a proud smile, knowing that the Thunderer probably let his brother win. An attempt at giving the younger god a confidence boost. From the slightly dishelved apperance it had still not been an easy win. Steve caressed a pale cheek, feeling the familiar ache in his heart. The heart wants what the heart wants. True words indeed. Tugging at his shirt made him look down, seeing an adorable pout on the youngster's mouth. Pulling his small lover closer he met eager lips with his own. Without really thinking about it they deepened the kiss, tasting the other.

"You are beautiful", the words slipped and green eyes grew wide, a shy blush spread on pale cheeks. "You are adorable, gourgeously beautiful." Loki had grown beet red in the face, lost for words. He mumbled something Steve couldn't hear, not even with his enhanced hearing. The young god threaded his fingers through blonde hair and smashed their lips back together. Amused the blonde man noticed that the Trickster was floating slightly to make up for the difference in their heights, standing on air.

* * *

 

Retreating to Steve's room they kept exchanging kisses. Undressing until they were only wearing their small-clothes they tumbled on the bed. With outmost gentleness the soldier kissed the pale skin, inch by inch. Loki shuddered when he felt the warm lips on his neck, large hands kept making patterns across his body. It was unlike anything he could have thought possibly. His whole body was like a single nerve, exposed for pleasure. Yet it was only the kisses and the soft hands on his body. The hands didn't even touch anywhere near his crouch. Head swimming he felt heat pool in his stomack, face flushed with arousal. A straining sensation between his legs. Steve had to notice but didn't comment, simply continued with his adminastrations. The teen whined when those warm lips touch a particularly sensetive spot. He felt a smile, then the soldier began licking and sucking at that spot. Turning his head away to give better access, he almost squirmed from Steve's attention. The soldier kept mapping the god's sensestive spots, driving him positively crazy. 

"Are you alright?" the blonde asked, kissing his lips. Loki nodded, still high on pleasure.

"Please..." he whined, not knowing what he was begging for. Thankfully, his boyfriend seemed to understand. A big hand wrapped around both of them, rubbing slowely. Their eyes was in contact the whole time, more kisses as they both grew closer to the brink. Loki grabbed Steve around the neck as he felt a bolt go through his body starting from his groin. A fierce kiss that made them both moan filthily. As they came down from their high they looked at each other and laughed. Suddenly the young god felt tired, eyes drooping. Steve kissed him tenderly while tucking him in under the blanket, allowing him to cuddle close as sleep claimed him. Warmth coming from the very depth of his soul he knew that this was the one. For now, for the future. For eternity. His last thought was a prayer to the Norns to protect Steve and let him have a long life. What he didn't know was that the goddeses of fate were listening, already weaving a path to the future. No one but them knew that the Trickster needed at least one life with happiness or the whole universe would fall with his grief.


	17. Chapter 17

It was noticeable. Red dots marring pale skin. You didn't have to be an expert to put it together. Liam gave his friend a scrutinizing look.

"Alright, who is she?" he demanded. Loki looked at him with confusion. "Your girlfriend. Who, I might add, left plenty of hickies on your neck."

"I don't have a girlfriend", the god said, still slightly confused. The black boy narrowed his eyes. Currently his friend were dressed in a loose shirt, a skirt of all things and dark leggings. Normal was not a word that could be applied to the guy.

"Who's your boyfriend then?" At this Loki lit up, smiling happily. Leaning closer he whispered in Liam's ear. "What! Seriously! You and..." lowering his voice he whispered, "...Captain America?" The teen god nodded looking absolutely besotted. Well, the black teen could admit he understood the appeal. Tall and all muscle. If you were going to fall in love with a dude, why not the prime example of human physique. That Cap was into guys was much more astonishing. Wow. Was he jealous? Maybe a bit. He was not into guys though...

The bell chimned and they entered the classroom as Miss Julianne swished in. English and drama teacher the woman was one for big gestures. Each year her classes was made to put up a play written by a great playwright. Her favourite was naturally Shakespeare. "Good morning", she tweeted. "I have decided that we are going to do Romeo and Juliet this year." A collective groan echoed through the room. Per usual Miss Julianne did a quick recap of the story and then started handing out roles. Except for one problem. None of the girls wanted to play Juliet. While the English teacher could force them to do the play she couldn't force them into a role.

"Come now, girls. It is not that bad", she tried to coax them but they all refused.

"Why are they so against it?" Loki asked Liam.

"She chooses the same plays every year and any girl who play Juliet gets ridiculed for the rest of the year."

"Why?"

"Because the utter ridiculous costume they have to wear. All the rest can get by but not when you are Juliet." The god mulled this over for a moment before raising his hand.

"Yes, Loki?" Miss Julianne said.

"I can play Juliet", the teen said while smiling. Of course no one laughed at  _him_. With him being an actual deity with super powers.

"That's not possible, dear."

"Why not?"

"Because Juliet is a girl and you are a boy." If anything this made Loki look even more confused. Tilting his head as he failed to follow her reasoning. The god was often like that, not understanding or caring about social norms. In Liam's opinion, that made him awesome.

"Is that all?" A green light travelled across the teen's body and now sitting in his seat were a teenage girl. It was clearly still Loki, same colours and basic facial structures. But the body definitely belonged to a female. Chest, hips and waist. "There, fixed." Her voice were low yet a higher pitch.  Sweeping back the suddenly waist-length hair she gave Miss Julianne a challenging stare. Sputtering the teacher had to give in. That day, Loki was the hero of the school. Or heroine perhaps. She never changed back during the day.

* * *

The girl appearing out of nowhere in the Tower was not a surprise for the Avengers. They had seen Loki's female form before. Tony greeted his daughter, asking about her day and about her sudden desire to change. Grinning widely she told him about her teacher and he laughed with her. Then he took his coffee and left for the workshop. Leaving Steve alone with the goddess. Of course she zeroed in on him. A wicked smile crossed her lips, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Walking over she straddled his lap and placed her arms on his shoulders.

"What do you think?" she asked. Steve smiled at her, their growing intimacy had made her bolder and more forward. As usual her father took in stride but made a point of leaving condoms all over the Tower. It wasn't quite as embarrassing as it once had been. Not after Thor had picked on up and happily sauntered off to find some company.

"You are beautiful", the soldier said, embracing her. She giggled and kissed him. Being female her body was softer, lips plumper and pressed against him, he had to hold tight to his restraint. He refused to rush this. Even if his lover made it difficult sometimes. Like right now when she guided his hands to her chest, pressing them to the soft mounds. It was a good thing they were not in the common areas. Tony had waited on Steve's floor, all to familiar with Loki's pattern. That she chucked her shirt of so that he touched her pale skin... well. He had to hold tight to his leash. Her smirk told him she knew. The goddess respected and understood his desire to take things slow but could get eager once they had crossed a line.

"Always beautiful", Steve told her while letting his hands wander to her back instead. She pouted when he moved his hands. So he kissed her, wandering to that spot on her neck that made her loose it completely. It worked but her squirming on his lap made little Steve very interested. Which she noticed and decided to move even more determined. Had she been in her male form he would have used his hand on both of then. But somehow, touching her like that in this form made him hesitant. Loki figured this out of course.

"If I don't want something I will tell you, Steve. Just like I tell you if I do. And if you don't want something, we don't do it." After telling him that she shifted to her male form and the god gave him a meaningful look. Maybe they could move forward a little bit anyway? Just a bit?

* * *

 

Rain was pelting on the window, lowering the temperature. Cold didn't bother her a lot but combined with moist the chill always seemed to seep through her clothes. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon. Odin and Thor had left the day before, wanting to tell the Asgardian Queen about her youngest reincarnation. The rest of the Avengers were gathered in the large living room. Even Clint who was slowly being accepted again. Natasha glanced at the sofa. Loki was reading a book, leaning against Steve with his legs stretched out. The soldier was sketching, not bothered by the weight. She could see a soft smile on his lips. Before the old king left he took her aside to talk to her. He had been told of her disapproval and decided to advice her.

_"If you keep acting with disdain for something he's chosen, he will resent you", he warned. "I've been a father for a thousand years and this was one of my many failings."_

Odin had also talked to her about the consequences of having immortal souls and how the Trickster god had lived life after life in sorrow. Not once finding the kind of love that made you willing to sacrifice your everything to protect them. The kind that accepts and demands acceptance in return. Lacking that in one life was tragedy enough but living several lives lacking, was devastating.

_"He has been on a path leading to darkness for a long time now. I saw it in my brother and I saw it in my son. There was nothing I could do. In the end, I didn't love either of them enough to place them above all rest. When I look at your leader, I see a man who gives his loyalty and then refuse to sacrifice it. He loves Loki. The Trickster. The god of mischief. And is willing, prepared to remove himself if he believed his presence would hurt Loki. Steve Rogers loves Loki more than he values his own happiness. I would suggest you trust him, unless you find him without honour. If the god of mischief can have one life with the truest if love, maybe his path of darkness can be changed to one of light."_

She had to admit it was difficult arguing with someone who was over five thousand years old. He had seen quite a lot. Watching the two Natasha could admit they were kind of adorable. A glass was suddenly offered to her. Tony stood to her left, casually holding out the glass. Taking it she sniffed before raising an eyebrow.

"Vodka", the engineer said. "I noticed you eyeing our lovebirds. Feeling okay?"

"I don't know", she said, taking the vodka. "I'm starting to realise I'm out of my depth. That hasn't happened in a very long time. How do you do it?"

"What do you know about my father? Howard Stark?"

"He helped build the atomic bomb. Was part of the super soldier programme, friend with Steve and quite the genius."

"Yep. He was also an ass. He was not the worst, as fathers goes, but he never really got the hang of it. Until he married my mother he was an even worse playboy than I was. Given the times, that was impressive. We didn't interact much and had a strained relationship at best."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I'm coming to that. You see, my dad was for a long time surrounded by people who could help him. His butler Jarvis, yes I named my Jarvis after him, and Ana, Jarvis wife. He also had Peggy Carter to keep him in check. By the time he married he no longer had people around him. When I was born he had already become used to it. He didn't have anyone who could show him how to be a dad so he never figured it out. For years I've believed myself the same. Then our tiny god came into our lives and suddenly I get it. I don't have to be perfect, don't have to have all the answers. I'm allowed to make mistakes as long as I'm still there for him."

"You haven't answered my question though. How do you do it? Without feeling out of depth."

"Really? You don't get it? Look at it from the other side then. Steve knew my father and by the time I was born he had been missing for several decades already. Presumed dead. I grew up hearing the stories. Peggy Carter had also been close to him, might have married him if he didn't go into the ice. Seventy years later Steve is found and wakes up. The world has changed but he has not aged a day. He is still the young man my father remembered. Then, while Loki's legal age is 16 he has not actually been alive for even a year. Yet it terms of age and maturity he has an eternity to draw from."

Natasha nodded slowly. She could also see it sometimes. How beneath the youthful innocence there were something far older, far more experienced than any teenager. The way he understood things, the way he discarded others. It spoke of someone who knew what was important. Echoes from the soul. That's what Odin had called it. A journey of immortality. 

"You never saw him as only a kid, did you?" she said.

"He is a kid but like anyone it is more complex. I simply take into account that the whole situation is fairly unique", Tony said. "Not to mention, I trust Steve and I think it is unfair that he has to feel so guilty all the time. We all love our Trickster. Only in different ways."

"Is that me?" Loki's voice came from the sofa. He was draped over Steve, looking at his sketchbook.

"I thought I could give it a try but it didn't turn out so well..." the soldier said.

"Why do you say that? I think it looks great. You are really talented you know."

"I... It just lacks something. Spirit, soul, life."

Loki tilted his head like he did sometimes, touching the picture with light fingers. "This is me... yet not?"

"I guess I feel like I failed to truly capture you. Not just your likeness but You." Steve shook his head and started to put away his sketchbook. The young god would not have it however.

"You are so silly", he chided. "I'm right here, just go ahead and capture me. Though you've already done that in my opinion." Looking at him for a moment the soldier burst out laughing, wrapped his arms around Loki and pulled him into an embrace. Then started tickling the teen. Both laughed loudly. Watching that scene, Natasha saw just how young Steve looked when all his burdens were stripped away. The Trickster didn't have any expectations of him she realised. He liked the Captain for who he was, not what he was.

And Steve saw Loki the same way. They freed the other from their darkness.

With that she finally accepted their relationship. While it might never become comfortable she knew all too well how the darkness could claim you. And how important that one person could be. It didn't have to be love but maybe sometimes it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm basing Howard Stark on the character in Agent Carter. In the comics Howard was a drunkard and abusive but the guy from the TV-show doesn't feel like he would turn out like that. Inadequate at fatherhood and lacking a sense of social interactions and boundaries.
> 
>  
> 
> When I said the comics are brutal, I was apparently to mild. Loki's fate in the latest issue from Marvel... was even more brutal and Thor is a huuuuge jerk to his brother.
> 
>  
> 
> I have often wondered why people assumed Natasha tricked Loki in Avengers. She thought he meant Banner and the Hulk but Loki calls the Hulk "beast". Not monster. And he is clearly confused about her conclusion. What he referred to with monster, I don't know. But in that sequence Loki was actually telling the truth about Shield. Also, he didn't have to unleash the Hulk. Their suspicions was enough for that.
> 
> Happy weekend folks!


	18. Chapter 18

Tending to her trees the goddess of youth stood in her orchard. While most had only heard about the golden fruit she had many trees that gave different yield. She was a solitary deity, preferring the quiet of her groove over the bustle of the court. Especially after the death of her one friend. The only one who had ever understood her deep ingrained need for solitude. Of course she noticed the shimmering. They were a fairly common visitor, directing her to make fate move.

"Greetings", Idun said. "How may I assist the sisters of fate?"

The Avatar pointed first to one tree and then another. To the untrained eye the fruit looked exactly the same on both trees. They were very different however. One tree granted a mortal the lifetime of a god. The other granted someone an immortal soul, turning them into a god. Many mistakenly believed that everyone in Asgard was a deity but most was not. They lived longer but when they died, their souls would not be reincarnated. Idun looked at the Norns, waiting. She had never heard their voices, instead they showed her what they wanted.

An image appeared of a young man. Blonde with good physique and clear blue eyes. At his side a youth was visible. She immediately recognised her old friend. The focus was on the blonde. He was mortal, human. Once more the Norns pointed to the trees, showing a road with three different paths and the man standing before them. Two the paths were obscured by mist, only the one straight forward was visible. It was also littered with pitfalls and thorns, hidden dangers. Those hidden twisted and went in odd directions. Yet were less dangerous, less heartbreaking. Two of the roads eventually ended while the third kept going, growing wider and safer the further it got.

The youth appeared beside the road, seeing all the different choices. Behind him was shadows, clawing at him. Whispering. Only two of the roads available to the blonde man could free him from the past. The other led to the end of everything. But the man had to make the choice himself, for himself. Otherwise he too would fall to darkness.

Idun nodded, she understood her duty. Picking a fruit from each tree she prepared to journey to Midgard. If he did not know of his two other choices, he couldn't make any choice.

* * *

 

Oh, the torture of Shakespeare. They were gathered in the auditorium, preparing for rehearsal. In costume and everything. There never enough time to properly learn and prepare anything. At least the props were already taken care of. Liam had been given the role of the Herald. He had no proof but he suspected his viltigo was the reason. Miss Julianne could really be rather blind, sometimes. And conservative. Which wasn't great in a drama teacher with a tendency to flounce. Running around she tried to make certain everyone was done.

"Loki? Where is Loki? Come on dear, we need to get started", she shouted. A minute or to later the goddess stepped out from the changing room. Everyone stared. Instead of the monstrosity Miss Julianne forced the poor girls to wear she wore a deep red dress. The skirt flowed to the floor, long, slim sleeves and a bodice in a patterned fabric, also mostly red. Her long black hair had been flattened and a wide headband decorated her head. Around her neck she wore a golden neckless with a red stone dangling near her chest. Their teacher sputtered.

"Dear, where is the dress I gave you?" Said dress was a frilly thing in a hideous shade of pink with a deep cleavage, short sleeves and ended at the knee. No one liked it except her.

"According to my brother, my former self was a good friend with Mr. Shakespeare. Helped him inspire some of his works apparently. A midsummer night's dream, I think. Steve then showed me paintings from the time period while dad showed me pictures of preserved dresses." The goddess twirled, showing of her costume. "Dad had it made for me, with time accurate techniques. Apparently there were some Renaissance group he payed pretty well and made them very happy."

"That's nice dear, but you are supposed to wear the correct costume", Miss Julianne tried again. Tilting her head the goddess shrugged and ignored their teacher. Instead she looked over the rest of the class and wrinkled her nose. With a single hand gesture she changed every costume except her own. Making them more accurate, aligning colours and style. Frank, who played Romeo, looked actually dashing. Rihanna, who played Lady Capulet, was way more dignified and didn't hide as much of her face. Even Mike the Bully, forced to play Tybalt looked better. The whole class cheered.

"Hey, Loki, you need worshippers?" Nina shouted. "Because I wanna go down on my knees and pray." Smiling the teen replied.

"I'm the goddess of Mischief. Making mischief is how you worship me", she then grinned wickedly. "I bless you all to be successful in your pranks and to escape unscathed. May chaos follow in your wake."

They all roared with laughter. And if their school was plagued by a storm of harmless pranks, well, that just made it even better. Especially since no one got caught.


	19. Chapter 19

It was quiet in the Tower. Tony was on a business trip, their resident assassins were on a mission for Shield while Thor was still on Asgard. This suited Bruce rather well, fewer things that could cause him stress. He actually dared sit with his notes in the common area instead of trying to protect them in the lab. The team was his friends and family but sometimes even that was too much.

"Uncle Bruce?" Loki stood near the edge of the room, unwilling to disturb him. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course, come sit", the scientist put down his notes and watched the young god. He had matured rapidly and was showing more competence in social situations. Likely school was the reason but other situations also played a part.

"What would you call it when someone treat people based on their skin colour?" The teen asked, taking Banner by surprise.

"Have that happened to you?"

"No... but I have this teacher who tend to act differently towards the black kids in my class than the white ones. I don't think she does it consciously but it still is pretty obvious..."

This was quite the dilemma but Bruce was impressed by the kid. Not only did he notice but he also figured it was a problem. Still, how to explain racism to someone who couldn't grasp discrimination.

"Does your teacher treat them badly?"

"No, just... I don't know, just, she kind of ignores them. When handing out roles the black kids were last. Some didn't get a role, even though they actually wanted one, while those who really didn't was guilted into it. Those were white. Liam told me he would rather play the monk than the Herald."

"Are you talking about your English teacher?" Loki nodded in dismay. From what Bruce had heard she was a rather... odd... woman. He thought about what he should say and decided to straight forward. "When people are treated as less than others based on their skin colour, we call this racism. Here in the US, racism against black people is pretty common, unfortunately."

"Is racism the same as discrimination?"

"Not exactly... they are related though. Racism cause discrimination but you can face discrimination for several different reason without race being apart of it. Racism can also include violence, slurs and poor treatment by the justice system."

"So, Miss Julianne is racist?"

"I can't say for certain but it sounds like she might have some preconceptions based on race. Causing her to treat her students differently without thinking about it."

The young god sat in deep thought for a while before he replied. "I think Miss Julianne does many things without thinking... maybe this is bad to say but she feels sort of selfish. And very eccentric."

"Considering Tony is your dad, that's saying something."

"She insisted a girl had to play Juliet even though they didn't want to and then she tried to make me wear something out of an 80s movie." Deciding not to ask why he knew 80s movies the scientist pondered the issue. They could take it up with headmaster but that didn't guarantee anything would change. Wait...

"You are the god of change, right?" Loki gave him an odd look.

"That's one way to put it..."

"So change the rules. Your classmates trust you enough to listen. You can't change your teacher but you can change the outcome."

The god of mischief pondered his words for a while as a wicked grin spread on his lips. Perhaps Bruce shouldn't encourage his chaotic nature but he figured that it was better to teach the teen to use his chaos for good than try to make him push away something so fundamental about himself.

* * *

 

Sleipnir was just like Thor remembered him. Big, eight legs and slightly to intelligent eyes. It had bothered the Thunderer that myths claimed his brother was the mother. Now he realised it wasn't  _his_ brother.

"And he is just a horse?" he asked his father. "Not a shapeshifter?"

"No shapeshifter, no. But a normal horse? Not at all", Odin said patting his steed. He had a very solemn expression, grievous. "My brother spent a long time trying to figure out how to turn his foal into a boy before concluding it was impossible."

"Why did he give his son to you?"

"He feared for him, feared what would become a child of his if it became known he was the get of Loki of Jotunheim. Already he grieved his children."

"What happened to them?"

"Angrboda, his lover of the time and mother of three of his children, cursed his children. All of them."

"Including her own?" Thor said aghast. "Is Frost Giants really that cruel?"

"She wasn't a Frost Giant, back then there were many different kinds. My brother and my mother both were Jotun, specialized in magic. Jotunheim wasn't always a frozen rock, a natural disaster caused the constant overcast you saw. Only the Frost Giants was able to survive in the increasing artic temperatures. The Casket also aided them in making their cold world livable. Unfortunatly Laufey wasn't satisfied. He remembered the prosperious nature of Jotunheim before the eternal cold. That's why he invaded Midgard."

"Was your brother also a runt?"

"Not as you would think of it, nor like your brother. He was just among the shorter Jotun. I don't know when the Frost Giants started treating their small offspring as a burden."

"Did Angrboda kill their children?"

"No... that might've been a mercy. She forced a change on them. Jormungand was turned into a giant snake, Fenrir a mighty wolf and Hela, his daughter, was cast to Helheim. Her face was split in half. One side was beautiful, the other a rotting corpse. Narfi and Vali was killed however. It broke his wife, causing her to starve herself to death. Tor and I tried to take revenge on Angrboda but Loki didn't want that."

"Tor?" Thor said in confusion. "I've never heard that name..."

"It is a version of your own, I suspect it might have been your former self. Tor's father had been namen Woden, a version of my own name. Sadly Tor died not long after my brother did."

"My former self..."

"Aye, not only are your powers the same he was the first to weild Mjolnir after Loki had it made for him. Your personality and looks are completely different but some things are the same. Your bravery and your big heart among the strongest."

"How many have been reborn..." Thor looked at the horse again. Sleipnir was munching on hay and gave him a look that seemed to say  _You okay, bro?_

"Anyone named god or goddess really. Those with immortal souls. Although reincarnation is more accurate than rebirth." Odin sighed and looked truly weary. "I loved my brother dearly, Thor. Your mother never met him but she knew of him. We shared many moments, learnt and grew together. Bringing home Loki, my son, your brother, healed a part of me that had bleed for a long time. Then losing him twice... I'm growing tired. Even though the Norns brought his soul back, my son is still gone. So is my brother. I don't know how long I can hold on to this life. If you find someone you truly love, with all of your heart no matter the form it takes, don't hold back. Don't hesitate. But don't be hasty either. When you meet the one, you will know."

"You are speaking as if you are dying..."

"I am, Thor. A few more years and my soul will move on. You have to be ready." the old king patted his steed solemnly. "Sleipnir escaped the curse. He has proudly carried me to battle many times. He is the last who remembers my brother with warmth..."

* * *

 Odin watched his son walk away, his shoulders slumping. No one liked to be reminded of their mortality. Thor would understand one day. He at least had still a chance. To change. To grow. Sometimes the All-Father suspected somethig died in him when he watched his brother die. Few were aware how close the then crown prince and then Trickster had been. They had never shared a romantic relationship, that was not how they felt, but they did shared a physical relationship after Sigyn's death. Those emotions had never carried over to his son. He had truly fallen for his wife before marrying her. But sometimes... sometimes... he missed the carefree life of his youth.

 


	20. Chapter 20

"Steve", Natasha's voice came from the doorway. He turned, tensing. The spy was solemn, her face carefully blank. Not another lecture then.

"Yeah? Do you need help with something?"

"You remember finding Hydra within Shield, right?" How could he possibly forget, the sight of Loki strapped down and cut open still haunted his memories. Even more so after they started going steady. Have they been even a bit later the god could have been dead. "Fury has spent the last months scouring the organisation, capturing every Hydra agent he could."

"That's great news but I don't see what it has to do with me..."

"Steve... as they searched they came upon a man known as the Winter Soldier. He has been an assassin for decades, I have come across him myself", Natasha took a deep breath, looking shaken herself. "They also found detailed documentation about the man. His name is James Buchanan Barnes, former sergeant in the US army, war hero and declared killed in action. Famously known for fighting side by side with Captain America."

It was like someone had pulled away the world from underneath his feet. He couldn't think, couldn't breath. Only one thing echoed in his mind.  _Bucky was alive._

* * *

 

She was beginning to regret throwing this at him. Steve was hyperventilating and seemed to disassociate. The shock was understandable but how could she help him. Panic attacks were out of her expertise. Tony might have been able to help but he was still on his business trip and Bruce didn't deal well with stressful situation. Reluctantly she realised there were only one person who could truly help the soldier at the moment.

"Jarvis, ask Loki to come here", Natasha told the A.I.

" _The young master is on his way_ ", came the answer and moments later the young god popped into the room, looking slightly bewildered. It took him only a few seconds to take in the situation and approach Steve. Loki didn't say anything. Just wrapped his arms around the other man. Waiting. The soldier brought his own arms up, holding the tiny Trickster tightly. For any normal human the hold would likely have crushed them but as a god, Loki was stronger than even a super soldier. Being held in a crushing hug didn't bother him. Natasha had seen Thor hug is brother more roughly.

Simply holding his young lover in his arms was calming Steve down. Grounding him. When they collapsed on the sofa the god of Mischief climbed onto the blonde's lap. Letting him cradle the teen. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, it seemed the soldier felt at peace by being protective. He carded his fingers through black locks and rested his head on Loki's shoulder.

"What happened?" the god asked softly. A mumbled conversation ensued. Some comforting noises. Regardless of the circumstances it was good to see that they had some semblance of equality in their relationship and that Steve didn't feel the need to act tough because he is the older one. Natasha wanted to chaperone them but knew her presence wasn't needed nor wanted in this moment. Not everything was a fight.

* * *

 

This building was much smaller than anything he had seen before from Shield. It made him anxious, coming here but he also thought Steve might need him. Unlike everyone else currently at the Tower he didn't have any relation to the man they were meeting. The rest had heard a lot about Captain America and Sergeant Barnes growing up. Loki had spent the last few days listening to stories but they were mostly about his boyfriend's childhood and life before the serum. Not heroics from the war.

It had been Aunt Nat who suggested the Trickster should accompany the soldier. Which was surprising considering her opinion of their relationship. Maybe she was coming around? Steve suddenly straightened and walked in a distinct pattern. His face grew grimmer and less open. It reminded the god of his brother. A warrior prepared for battle. Once inside the Captain placed a hand on the teen's shoulder, not letting go once and looked at the agents in an unfriendly way. Likely remembering the last time either of them were in a Shield facility and not taking any chances. The gesture made Loki's heart do an excited little dance and squeezed hard at the same time. He wanted to pepper that handsome face with kisses.

He didn't. If it was something he had learnt it was to act according to the situation. At the moment a love sick teenager were of no use, a fully powered god on the other hand carried some authority. An agent introducing herself as Hill led them to a holding cell of some sort. The man inside had long, dark brown hair and haunted brown eyes. His left arm was either clad in metal or consisted of it. Silvery with a red star. He watched them with a blank stare. Following their every move.

"Bucky..." Steve said in the silence. The feral man glared at the soldier.

"Who the fuck is Bucky?"


	21. Chapter 21

He watched the face on the blonde man crumble at his words. There was something about the guy that felt eerily familiar. Like an old memory or a dream. The boy at his side was a complete stranger. Not that strangers were unusual but they tended to be older. It didn't escape his notice that the blonde had a possessive hand on the boy's shoulder and both eyed the other people with wariness and suspicion. A lack of trust then. Perhaps an earlier altercation. The Asset started stalking along the glass wall separating him from the outside world. 

"Like a beast in a cage", one of the agents nearby growled. "Can't believe we are doing this." The blonde glared at the man before turning back to him.

"Your name is James Buchanan Barnes, nicknamed Bucky. You grew up in Brooklyn and joined the army, becoming a sergeant. After rescue from a Hydra base you joined Captain America and fought against the Nazis." The words rang hollow in his mind. He knew they should have meaning but they didn't. "Your best friend was Steve Rogers. Steven Grant Rogers."

Something jolted in him. His mind lurching sideways.  _"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone!" "How can I? You are taking all the stupid with you." "Punk." "Jerk."_

_"That weak kid from Brooklyn who didn't know when to run away, I'm following him."_

_"This is a nightmare, I've turned into you."_

_"I though you were smaller."_

_"You don't have one of those do you?"_

_"Let's hear it for Captain America!"_

_"What if they take you?"_

_"Bucky."_

_"Bucky!"_

_"This isn't revenge for Coney island right?"_

_"Steve."_

_"Bucky."_

_I'm Bucky..._

 

* * *

 

The feral man staggered, clutching his head. His eyes darted as they tried to find something, anything. Loki walked up to the thick glass wall. This was Steve's best friend. And he was hurt, confused. Scared. Using his magic he reached out, touching the jumbled mess of the man's mind. Gently, carefully he untangled the webb. Tendrils removed any trace of his former masters, freeing him from them. He eased painful memories and soothed anger and sorrow alike. Slowly the mess came apart, becoming manageable. Dark eyes stared at him. The fear was gone from his face, invisible until it was no more. His gaze awake, aware. 

He looked over at the soldier standing not far from the god. Swallowing. Pailing by the second.

"Steve? Oh god... I... oh... I don't... I think..."

"Bucky..." Steve breathed. "It's okay buddy, it's okay. The future might be a bit weird but we are bith here."

The former sergeant collapsed on the floor, sitting like a child waiting for its parents. Locating the door Loki overrode the security, thanks dad, and opened it. Immediately the agents raised their guns and pointed them at the teen. Which made his boyfriend growl angrily and plant himself in front of the young god. Ignoring the commotion Loki approached Barnes. Brown eyes watched with a blend of trepidation and anticipation. 

"Who are you?" he asked in a whisper. "What did you do to me?"

"I'm Loki Stark, god of mischief. I removed your masters' control."

"Wha... Stark? Like Howard Stark? And... wait... god?"

"Don't worry mister Barnes, we will help you. We and all of the Avengers."

"That's right, Bucky. We are here for you."

* * *

 

The last piece of crappy pottery shattered against the wall. Thank all the powers in the universe that Tony had not been home when he received the news. Loki had told Bruce who then told the billionaire. James Buchanan Barnes. The Winter Soldier. Had killed his parents on the order of Hydra. Tortured. Brainwashed. Without control. That was what had happened. Not a car crash. Murder. Barnes was not the murderer but the murder weapon. He realised that. But he still thanked every power he was not home at the moment.

Bucky Barnes didn't deserve to be killed. He was a war hero. A prison of war. A victim. Intelligently Tony knew this, but emotionally he didn't want to care. So throwing pottery it was. Getting it out. His son would be very sad if his dad showed anger towards Steve's best friend. According to Bruce Loki had been the one to remove Hydra from the guy in first place. That the teen felt a responsibility and truly wanted to help. They should not - could not - ignore the god's mindset in this. Echoes if the soul. Understanding of madness and torture. A path filled with darkness unless they could protect him. And protect the things that he thought important.

That didn't really matter to Tony. He just wanted to be a good dad. A good person and role model. A good role model didn't lash out at the victim. Surrounded by shards upon shards of broken pottery he breathed heavily before finally settling down. Mind at ease. He didn't have to be perfect but he should try to do the right thing. It was time to return home to his ragtag family.


	22. Chapter 22

She had observed the mortals for a while now, trying to discern their nature before obeying the Norns. The blonde man involved with the Trickster was easy to understand, his role and why he had been chosen. It was the others who were more of an issue. One mortal had adopted Loki as his son and showed qualities that was suitable for divinity, a brilliant and creative mind. Then there was the woman and the shapeshifting man, they could maybe handle a longer life but they were also volatile. She had dismissed the archer out of hand, he already had to many attachments and was to removed from the god. Unexpectedly another mortal made his debut.

An old friend to the blonde, that she could tell. While damaged and hurt he also showed traits that bounced of the Trickster well. Balancing. His core was one of protectivness and loyalty. Able to bend and accept changes without compromising his own morals. That core had been suppressed by others. Harming it, causing cracks. Years of abuse and having been forced to kill mercilessly had made him doubt himself. Yet, he also possessed qualities suitable in a god.

There were still time to make a decision regarding them but the man known at Steve Rogers stood close to the crossroad. He needed to know his options.

* * *

 

"Steve Rogers." Spinning Steve stared at the woman who had appeared out of nowhere. And it was not Loki. The woman was tall with porcelain skin and eyes reminding him of agate. Long golden hair tumbled down her back and she wore a white dress, almost a toga, leaving porcelain arms free. She carried a basket holding two yellow apples. Her feet were bare an had green smudges, as if she had walked on grass recently. "Fret not, I'm not here to do harm."

He could conclude two things. She was likely a goddess and an Asgardian. Apparently she could also read minds...

"Not quite. I am Idun Freyadotter of the Vanir, goddess of youth. I've come to present you with a choice."

"A choice?"

"You have three paths before, each path has a different outcome. At the moment you can only see one. I will reveal to you the other two."

"And then I will have to make a choice?"

"Eventually. A lot hinges on the choice you make."

"Alright, tell me my choices.  **All** of them." The goddess nodded, pleased.

"Your current path is that of mortality. To live and die as a human with a human lifespan. This is the path if you do not choose. The second path is you choosing the lifetime of a god, dying without reincarnation at its end. The third path is that if divinity, gaining an immortal soul."

"Why would I want either of those two? I would lose all I care about."

"Not all. Is not the god of mischief your love? A lifetime of a god would grant you millennia at his side. Divinity would forever tie your souls together and in any life hereinafter you would always be together. Finding one another no matter what."

Steve had not expected this response. How could he have forgotten Loki? The young god would live for thousands of years only to be reincarnated to live yet another life. Another life of loneliness. But could he really give up everything just for Loki's sake. Thankfully the goddess spoke.

"You have no need to make a choice at this point. But the moment will come when a choice has to be made", she picked up one of the apples. "This grants the lifetime of a god." Giving him the apple she picked up the other one. "This grants you an immortal soul, making you into a god. You may speak with others of the choice you stand in front of but none may make the decision for you."

Looking at the apples in his hands the soldier tried to see a difference without any luck. "What happens if I make a decision but takes the wrong apple?"

"That will not happen", Idun reassured. "When the choice is truly made you will know which apple to eat." With that, she was gone. If no for the golden fruit in his hands he might have thought he had been dreaming. Shaking his head he decided to go visit Bucky who had been moved to the Tower on Loki's insistence. That his lover was also likely with his old friend was definitely part of his need to go. He could really use a hug at the moment.

* * *

 

He watched the teen talk animatedly about his high school and the play they were putting on with amusement. There were so much life and enthusiasm. People in the Tower had explained best they could the boys situation but his mind reeled at the thought of gods and goddesses, magic and whatnot. Bucky didn't blame Stark for feeling uncomfortable in his presence. It was understandable to say the least. That he even made an effort spoke volumes about his character. Not to mention his love for his adopted son. He obviously made his effort for Loki's sake.

There were a knock on the door and Steve looked inside. "Hey! Can I join you guys?"

"Steve!" the god's face lit up like a Christmas tree. Rushing to his feet the teen  _jumped_ and wrapped his arms around the blonde. The punk gave mystery boy a good squeeze in return. Bucky still wasn't entirely sure what their relationship was but he had some suspicions.

"Sit your ass down, Steve", he said. "Hardly see your face these days."

"Sorry, lots of Avengers mission and we are missing one of our heavy hitters."

"Nah, I get it. So, who is missing?"

"My brother", the adorable little menace said. "Thor had to go back to Asgard. Something about the Queen."

"So he's strong then?"

"He  _is_ the god of thunder and a very mighty hero. But Steve is a better leader." The teen was glued to the Punk and he didn't seem to mind.

"What is your relationship? I can't figure it out."

"We..." Steve began.

"...are dating", Loki said in a stubborn voice. "Steve's my boyfriend." As if to emphasize he pressed even closer to the blonde. Who in response squeezed him affectionately. Brown eyes met blue eyes, getting confirmation.

"Steve..."

"I know Buck."

"He's a kid. A teenager."

"I know."

"Hey!" Loki yelled. "No bullying Steve! I'm capable of making my own decisions thank you very much."

"I'm not bullying him, kiddo. Just doing a reality check. He is nearly a hundred years old and you are a teen. That's quite the age difference."

"No it's not. Thor told me there is nearly a millennia between his mother and father. Besides, I was reincarnated. Not reborn. I'm a god."

"Kid..."

"NO! I've had enough of people trying to tell me they know my mind!" By know Loki were screaming, anguish on his face. "My former self were tortured, then basically murdered. Sometimes I can sense his emotions from those last moments. The pain, the fear, the grief. The knowledge that there would be people celebrating his death no matter how undeserved. For a thousand years no one even tried to give him the love he gave. Thor even admitted to have been a poor brother." Tears streamed down the pale cheeks, the voice broke away several times. "Is it really so much to ask for? To have at least one lifetime with someone I love who loves me in turn? Don't I deserve even that?"

Bucky was shocked. The young god had always seemed so carefree to him that he had completely missed the darkness lurking underneath. He had helped the former assassin. Perhaps for Steve's sake but also out of altruism. As for the blonde, he scooped up his young lover, placed him on his lap and held him close.

"You deserve all the love you get, Loki. And so much more. People get concerned out of love to you. They worry because they care. They only show it different ways", he said. "Even Natasha and Bucky just cares for you. As it should be."

"I want them to trust me..."

"They do, Loki. It is not you they are feeling uncomfortable with. It's me."

"But I love you."

"I love you too."

"So why isn't that enough? Why do they react that way?"

Bucky didn't hear the answer. Steve was rocking the now sobbing deity, murmuring soothingly. Even kissing his hair. Surprisingly Loki feel asleep as the adrenaline seeped out of him. Slumping against the strong chest.

"It's kind of ironic that I hoped he would be here because  _I_ needed a hug", the blonde said softly. "His unbridled joy at seeing me and being with me ease my worries almost in an instant."

"Yeah... I'm sorry I upset him... It's just... you know."

"I know Bucky. I'm not angry with you. It is a legitimate concern. Even more so since you know me better than anyone. I can't explain it, it just feels right. Like I've always looked for that one place, the one person, that simply wants me for who I am. Then I find them and they are different from anything I ever expected. With Loki I can be many things. Weak, strong, uncertain, steady and so on. It doesn't change his opinion of me or his feelings for me in the slightest."

"Man... I can imagine how much guilt you are constantly carrying around. You have always prided yourself on trying to do the right thing and this", Bucky gestured to the sleeping god. "This looks wrong on so many levels and you know it. But I also know you, Steve. You would only be willing to carry that guilt and face all that scrutiny if you lived him with every fibre of your being. I know that, and I'd say. So do he."

"Thank you, Buck. For at least not condemning me." 

"Steve, I'm a former assassin. I've killed countless of people even if I didn't want to. He helped me. Saved me. I still think it is a bit weird but that's not important. Heck, my Pa met my Ma when she was sixteen and he was nearing thirty. Who am I to  judge? The important thing is that you are happy. One day you won't have reason to feel guilty anymore. At some point age stops being relevant. As long as you don't let yourself be compromised there won't be a problem."

"I'm glad to have you back, Bucky."

"Glad to be back, Punk."

"Jerk."

They smiled, enjoying their banter. It was good, being around friends again. Even adorable little menaces.


	23. Chapter 23

The school play had had a number of delays. All the other classes were finished with theirs but not the one doing Romeo and Juliet. It was never very big things but enough that they didn't finish on time. Tests, quizzes, problem with the scenery and broken lights. When Thor returned to Earth there were no more delays. Some people didn't notice the correlation and those who did kept quiet about it. Since Tony Stark was involved he had made certain that any employee from SI who wanted could attend the event. Even going so far as having a temporary lectern built and a promise to donate it to the school. It was pretty high tech. Some teachers grumbled about the billionaire spoiling his kid but no one listened to them. Miss Delaware was seated besides Mrs. Winter, a matriachal older, black, woman. Both there to watch the yearly play. Despite the years that separated them they were good friends. Mrs. Winter was there instead of her son and daughter-in-law who were working, insisting that someone should be there for Liam, her grandson. It was a relief to be around a person who didn't judge Miss Delaware for being an unmarried single mother.

"I have heard about Stark from Liam", Mrs. Winter said. "But if he provides seats like these, I think he is a good lad." As if to prove her point she pressed her butt deeper into the cushioned seat. She wasn't the only one who was pleased. Being able to see the scene without trouble helped. The lights dimmed and Miss Julianne flounced upon stage, red in her face. According to Rihanna the woman was rather patronizing.

"Welcome everyone", she tweeted in the mic, "first a big thank you to Mr. Stark for his... generous contribution to the school. Now, class 6 year 2 will give you their version of Romeo and Juliet."

Yep, patronizing was the word. She flurried down from the stage, taking a seat. The lights were all turned of save for the spotlight. Out from behind the curtain stepped Liam, starting the prologue. Once he finished the curtain was raised. Surprisingly well made scenery presented the stage. At first it felt pretty standard, Delaware recognised all the students she saw. Some in roles that surprised her, from Miss Julianne's face she was just as surprised if not more.

Then Juliet stepped out and the girl was completely unknown to her. Other parents were whispering to each other, trying to find out who the teen was. Black, silky hair. Pale skin and graceful bearing.

"That is an honour I desire not, mother", 'Juliet' said, facing Rihanna playing Lady Capulet. Throughout the whole play things started to become... odd. Backdrops changed by themselves. Things that looked like weather and strangely natural light.

"Dagger, find thy sheet", 'Juliet' plunged her very real looking knife into her chest and collapsed. Liam came on scene a last time, concluding the play.

"...tale of Romeo and his Juliet." And the curtain fell. Thunderous applause erupted as the teens walk out to take their bows. The light came back up and parents went to join their kids. Refreshments waiting to the side.

* * *

 

"Granny!" Liam gave his grandmother a big hug, still high on adrenaline. Loki's crazy plan had actually worked and his, hers, spell was still in place. Preventing their teacher from making a scene. Yet.

"You were doing wonderful", the elder woman said, smiling widely.

"Will you introduce us?" Walking with that crazy grace the best goddess ever approached them. She wore a smug smile.

"Right. This is my Granny. Granny, this is Loki. She's usually a guy but for the play she is a girl." Mrs. Winter looked rather confused by her grandson's words but smiled kindly nonetheless.

"There's my girl!" A boisterous voice cut through the cacophony. Striding towards them was Tony Stark. As usual dressed in a fancy suit and a shit-eating grin. In his wake came the rest of the Avengers. 

"Dad!" Loki all but squealed and ran to him. The billionaire actually picked her up and swung her a around. By now all attention were on the group. "Did I do well?"

"Darling, you should have an Oscar. You were brilliant."

"I meant the spells!"

"They were very impressive little sister", Thor boomed. "I've rarely seen such exquisite spell work." The goddess beamed at the god before turning to another blonde man. Steve Rogers. Captain America. Loki's boyfriend. Right, they were dating. The Hero had the softest of smiles on his face. One filled with adoration and love. Yet there were hesitation in his movements, as if he wanted to do one thing but at the same time didn't want to do it. Another man was standing by his side, looking amused.

"Come on Punk, just give her a quick hug", he said. He looked kind of scruffy with long dark brown hair and and the beginning of a beard.

"Bucky... not the time or place", Cap chided and the guy just laughed.

"Whatever you say, Stevie. Whatever you say."

"I rather wait and get a proper hug later", Loki declared. The group chuckled and another blonde guy ruffled her hair. 

"Clint, don't do that. My hair will get tangled."

OMG. That's Hawkeye. Which meant the redhead was Black Widow. Yep, Loki was the best god, goddess in the world.

"LOKI STARK!" The shrilling scream echoed through the gym. Ah, Miss Julianne had been released then. She stalked towards the girl, red in the face. "HOW DARE YOU!" Smoothly Mr. Stark stepped in front of the goddess.

"What is it that my daughter has done, miss?" he asked.

"Your SON has ruined the play. He is wearing the wrong dress, he switched the roles of his classmates and completely changed the scenery."

"Miss, please respect my child's current gender. She can change if she wants but right now she is a girl. Out of everyone in here, you are the only one complaining.  And as I've explained before, you are dealing with a divinity, a very powerful mage."

"Miss Julianne", Loki said with a deceptively sweet voice, "I just helped everyone to feel better about the play. The majority of the black kids wanted to be on scene and a majority of the white kids wanted to work behind. I didn't force them."

"It was not your place to make that decision!" The goddess shimmered and the god of mischief looked straight into her eyes. Changing from female to male caused a bit of a stir. Staying quiet the young god just looked at her. Letting her work herself into a frenzy. When she finally stopped, breathing hard, he spoke.

"I felt like you were being unfair to my black classmates", he said. "I was told your actions was racist. I couldn't change you, so I changed the rules."

"You dare speak that way to me?"

"I'm a  _god_ miss Julianne. My soul has lived for eons. I am the god of mischief and the god of chaos. Challenging the rules are in my nature. Change is in my nature. I want to be a good person, use my powers for others. Like my classmates."

"You are no god whatever they might claim", their teacher was working herself into hysteria. Everyone watching, especially parents, had disapproving expressions. "I'm older than you, young man. You do well to show me some respect."

"I would ask you to cease speaking to my brother like that", Thor's voice was a low rumble. Just like thunder. "My brother's soul is ancient and he will live for another five thousand years with the Norns grace. In his former life my brother was over one thousand years old."

"He..."

"Not another word, lady", mr. Stark interrupted. "I refuse to let anyone badmouth my kid. Do you remember the Pause?"

The English teacher looked flabbergasted. "Of course I do, it was horrible. The worst thing I've even experienced."

"Good. You see, my kid is the reincarnation of that man. He lived that life and died in a horrid way. Loki of Asgard and Loki Stark, Loki of Yggdrasil have the same soul. Everytime someone act like you do, you push him towards the same kind of fate he has already suffered. I refuse to let that happen. With everything I have, I want my kid to be happy. All he did to you was exposing your shitty personality."

* * *

 

The kiss felt long overdue but that made it all the sweeter. Loki was a little sad that his school had temporarily closed to investigate its teacher since several of them had already displayed behaviours that was offensive towards the students. Surveillance footage was usually just stored without anyone viewing it. Now it was going to be used for the investigation. All students had been offered a place in a different school but Tony had opted for taking the god out of school for now. Stating there was no reason Loki should have to suffer through the same thing twice in a new school. Not when grades were not an issue.

Steve was as usual very gentle and loving. Their kiss tender. Sweet. Pressing closer Loki felt his body shiver. It was desire but it was also something else. Something more profound. His boyfriend seemed to feel it as well. Without a word they retreated to the bedroom and took their time undressing the other. There were no rush. The goal was the intimacy, the connection. Not the finale. And for the first time in all his lives the god of mischief knew his deep love returned. For the first time he was someone's most important person and they were his most important person in turn. Fate began to change.

* * *

 

"Anthony Stark", an unfamiliar female voice said. Tony turned, eyeing the tall, blonde woman. She held a golden apple in her hand, extending it towards him. "I offer you the opportunity to become a god."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How tall is Loki... I don't really get inches and feet since I have only used the metric system. But I have mentioned before that Loki is about a head shorter than Steve.


	24. Chapter 24

The blonde woman still held out her hand, waiting. Tony just stared at her. He couldn't possibly have heard her correctly. Oh, he could remember learning about some golden apples from Thor but did she really say what he thought she said.

"You want to make me into a god?" he asked. "Me? Hun, I'm not a good person. I do my best to do good but I'm not a good person. Go to Steve. Steve is a good guy."

"Having the right qualities for becoming a god is not about being good or bad", she said. "It's about perseverance, determination and the ability to see beyond ones emotions."

"Uhu, I don't know lady, but that seems like a low bar to me. Just look at Thor, guy's wearing his heart on his sleeve."

"To see beyond ones emotions is not the same as hiding them or refusing them. It is about to make a choice regardless of them. You, Anthony Stark, has shown all qualities needed to be granted godhood."

"Alright, I've been doing this for years. Why now?"

"You have given your heart to the god of mischief. A parent that seeks to guide, strengthen and support the Trickster. Making the active choice of letting the past remain the past. Forging a new path."

Tony pondered the proposal. He was glad no one else was around. They would just had gone on about why he shouldn't even think about it. "Say I eat that apple, what will happen to me?"

"You will gain the immortal soul of a god. There are likely to be other changes that will only become apparent in time as you grow into your new role."

"So I will live thousands of years and then live another life? Without memories from this one?"

"Your son has that answer Anthony Stark. Know however that the bonds you make to other gods will remain throughout your incarnations."

He took the apple from her hand, turning it over. "My name is  _Tony_ Stark. The only name I will acknowledge."

"So be it." She waited. Tony was still turning over the fruit in his hands, brushing it with his thumb. The goddess had told him, basically that he was worthy to become a god but that wasn't the thought that made him decide. It was the thought that he would be able to there for his kid. Before he could change his mind he bit through the golden skin, sinking teeth into soft flesh. He barely registered eating the rest of the fruit. His mind were swirling and he felt oddly... expanded.

Opening his eyes - when had he closed them? - he noticed he was alone. That buzz in his brain was still strong. Thoughts and ideas flew through with such speed he would have compared it to the processing power of a computer. Only, he was the computer at the same time he wasn't. The rush calmed but didn't go away. Tony realised that this is what Thor and Loki felt all the time. Slightly high and elevated with their soul thruming in beat with the universe.

A chorus of voices whispered.  _Tony Stark, god of invention and innovation_. That, he felt, was quite appropriate.

* * *

Cradling his young lover Steve pressed occasional kisses to his brow. Black hair tumbled across the god's face and slow exhaling caressed the blonde's skin. Their naked bodies were tucked in beneath warm blankets, limbs still tangled. Loki had a small, satisfied smile even while asleep. The soldier tried to summon a suitable feeling of guilt but it didn't come. He couldn't make himself feel bad about what they had done. Because that's was the thing. They. Meeting on level ground. As equals. Their ages wasn't a matter of rang or status. Both sought the other for love and comfort. Steve was considered an adult and many probably thought he should be the rock in their relationship. But that's not how they worked.

Loki was a whirlwind, strong, relentless and determined. He loved strongly without ignoring his own vulnerability. Just like he sought comfort from Steve, Steve could seek comfort from Loki  because they were equals. That didn't mean they had to do the same things for one another. It didn't mean they had to conform to the other's lifestyle. They didn't have to be the same. Rather they didn't want to. Steve was allowed to be protective and showing his protectiveness. His need to be physically present. Loki was allowed to be boisterous and showing his stubbornness, his temper. 

The soldier jumped as something nipped his skin, breaking him out of his thoughts. Pale, pink, lips and white teeth were nibbling on him. Emerald green eyes looked up at him as the young god kept licking and lightly biting him.

"Loki?" Steve asked in amusement. A hum answered him as his young lover resumed his administrations. Nimble fingers joined in, travelling lower. There were heat in those gorgeous eyes. Pressing their lips together the deity basically straddled him. Without thinking the soldier flipped them over, answering the kiss with one of his own. It was pretty obvious what the tiny Trickster wanted and he was making it clear he wouldn't hear any excuses. A refusal, a no, he always respected but he did not abide any excuses.

"I love you, Steve", Loki said, desire radiating from his features. "I love you with my soul." And that was pretty much a declaration that the god intended to love him for all eternity. Regardless if he would still be there or not. Steve smiled softly and kissed him. At this point, why make excuses for something they both obviously wanted.

__

* * *

 

He should have known telling Pepper was a bad idea. For the last hour she had continuously berated him for his choice. It was kind of scary how easily he now understood the arrogance of gods. The world was way vaster and complicated than any mortal could ever hope to understand. No wonder they had a high opinion of themselves. In that vastness gods were beings of power, they mattered. A human did in the large scale of things didn't. On a personal level a single human could be very important but not when you looked at eternity.

Despite that Tony tried to hold on to his sense of humanity. Anchoring himself in knowing where he came from. How he came to be in this situation. It was surprisingly simple. He emulated Thor. Trying to make an upgrade to his suit the constant berating was getting to him. Pepper had been very critical of him for a while now and not given him any support at all. She had flat out refused his marriage proposal due to the adoption. She even tried to stop the bank account he opened specifically for Loki and had attempted to reverse the adoption. And Tony had tried to explain, sooth and accommodating her.

"Enough", he growled, turning on her. "You don't like me being Iron Man. You don't like me being a dad. Now you don't like me being a god, if you really believe me. I've tried to please you. To compromise but you don't even give the inch. I have had enough."

"Tony!" Pepper exclaimed, looking affronted. No more missy.

"No. We are over. I'm breaking up with you. Don't talk to me until you can be professional about it." He turned away again and waited. Finally he heard the door click. Sinking down in his chair he felt like he was free falling. No regret but still. "Jarvis. Remove Pepper's clearance for the lab."

" _You only did what was best for_ the young master, sir. It is unfortunate Ms. Potts failed to see this but ultimately it is not your fault", a hand fell lightly on the inventor's shoulder and he froze. He was supposed to be alone in the lab and Jarvis' voice no longer came from the ceiling. Standing he slowly looked over his shoulder at the apparition. It shrugged. "You have become a god, sir. My understanding is that gods can do miracles."

Did gods faint? He didn't care. He fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't hate Pepper, I promise. Admittedly I think that her portrayal in the movies can sometimes come off as unsympathetic. Lacking empathy in some regards. Like when Tony is dealing with mental health issues. She can also be a bit rigid. But hey, at least this time it was Tony who dumped her. Not the other way around.


	25. Chapter 25

The overhead speakers chimned softly before Jarvis spoke. Surprising the present Avengers and their permanent guest.

" _My apologies for interrupting but it seems like Mr. Stark has fainted. Could I bother you to come to the workshop?_ " Bruce gave the ceiling an odd look even as he shot to his feet, heading for the elevator. Had the A.I. sounded more human than usual? They all joined him of course. Natasha had grabbed some snack bars and Clint some bottles, a mix of sodas and water. Good thinking. Thor didn't really have to come along but if Tony would have to be carried he would be a welcome addition. 

They burst into the workshop and just like Jarvis had said Tony was lying out cold on the floor. What he didn't mention was the apparition standing next to his fallen master. Vaguely humanoid it seemed to consist of moving blue lines. As they tumbled inside it seemed to focus on them.

"Ah, excellent. I was starting to worry about sir's condition and disturbing the young master is not an option I favoured", it said. Talking as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. And that voice...

"It can't be... Jarvis?" Bruce stammered.

"Please Doctor Banner, if you could take a look at him. Mr. Odinson your expertise might also be of use since your brother is unavailable." Thor seemed confused by this statement but followed the scientist. As they got closer Bruce noticed that the blue lines were actually numbers and letters in sequences.  _Code_ he realised. Computer code, for programming. It was Jarvis' code.

"What happened?" he asked as he knelt down beside his friend. Tony was breathing without problem and his heart was beating steadily. Far more steady than it usually did actually.

"I'm afraid my appearance shortly after having ended things with Miss Potts became to much for him", the apparition said. "He was already on edge after all." Tony had broken up with Pepper? And fainting upon seeing this... thing... was understandable to say the least.

"Stark's aura has changed", Thor noted. "It doesn't feel as feeble as before."

"A young lady came by and offered him an apple that he accepted. I believe the apple had a rather golden hue", Jarvis explained. The Thunderer perked up noticeably.

"Lady Idun was here?" he asked in an excited voice. "She truly bestowed him a well deserved gift."

"Who's Idun?" Clint asked staring at the moving bundle of code.

"The goddess of youth", the god explained. "She tends the Orchard of the gods. The fruit from her trees has many purposes but the golden fruit grants a mortal an immortal soul."

"An immortal soul", Natasha said, eyes narrowing. "Like you and Loki. But you are gods."

"And with an immortal soul, so is Tony", Bruce said, finally seeing signs that his friend was coming to. Blinking slowly he seemed dazed.

"Can someone ask the universe to stop spinning so much", he mumbled. "I rather see just one galaxy at the time."

"Great", Clint said. "He has lost his mind."

"Didyaknow that in Knowhere they harvest the spinal fluids from a giant corpse that they also live in. Gross..." Tony rambled, sounding completely crazy but Thor just chuckled fondly.

"Let me take you to a more comfortable location friend Stark. The overload of information will calm once your mind has gotten used to being a god", he said while lifting the engineer into his arms. Bridal style. "I'm guessing friend Jarvis sudden change is also due to your sudden elevation." 

The elevator dinged, Steve and Loki tumbled out, looking dishelved. Their clothing being crooked, hair standing in all directions and flushed faces. As Thor carried Tony passed them the billionaire stretched out a hand and petted his son's hair.

"Atta boy. Good job deflowering our super old virgin. Steeeve. Stevio, Stevie. Remember to use condom when Loki is a girl alright. Want no accidents. Nope. Byeeee. Going to... bed? Hey, Thunder boy! I'm single now. Wanna smash my ass with your hammer? Get it ha..." his ramblings was cut short by the elevator doors closing. Leaving the young god and the soldier looking utterly confused. 

"Is he drunk?" Steve asked, noticing the strange addition, shrugging and turning back to them.

"Sudden elevation to godhood, apparently", Clint supplied. Loki's eyes grew comically wide and his jaw became slack.

"Dad has become a god?" he said.

"Indeed young master", the bundle of code said.

"Oh Jarvis, that's fantastic. I'm so happy. I'm sure Dad can build you a proper body later", their little Trickster was literally jumping in excitement and was clapping his hands.

"Never mind that", Natasha said in a dangerous voice. "What did Tony mean exactly with 'Deflowering'? And telling you to use a condom." 

Bruce stood, made himself stand in front of her. His back facing her. In his opinion it was pretty obvious. Jarvis earlier comment about not wanting to disturb Loki pretty much confirmed it. They had had sex. Of the rather vigorous sort he'd say. It was a natural progression of their relationship and both were comfortable with trusting the other.

"Tony made a good point. Use condoms, don't forget proper preparations and have fun." Bruce could feel the anger radiating from the spy behind him. "Now go ahead and run away. No one will blame you."

 

* * *

 

He was still feeling woozy as Thor lowered him to his bed. Like he had taken a highly psychedelic drug while drinking copious amounts of alcohol. A wet towel on his brow helped him regain a semblance of sanity. The god of thunder was sitting at his bedside, a gentle expression on his face.

"Be at ease, Stark. A good nights sleep will aid you", he said.

"... I did see my kid I think..."

"Aye, he and the Captain joined us shortly before we left."

Tony giggled. He never giggled. Now he giggled. "I could tell what they had been up to, you know. Recognised the look. That's good. They're happy. I dumped Pepper. Got tired of always being the punching bag."

"Understandable", Thor hummed. "You are a good father Stark."

"Tony. My name is Tony. Not Stark, not Anthony. Tony."

"You are a good man Tony and you deserve someone who sees it. Even more so now when you are a god."

"Yeah... she didn't like that... me becoming a god. Or a dad. I'm never good enough for her... welp, who needs her."

Why was Thor holding his hand? Felt good though. Warm and big. He was feeling drowsy, sleep dragging him down. Something soft yet bristling brushed his lips.

"You are good enough, Tony. Rest."

His bedroom door closed and just as he slipped into sleep he realised what had happened.

**_Thor_ ** _kissed him!_


	26. Chapter 26

Things were... tense... in the Tower. It was sort of ridiculous in Clint's opinion. Natasha was furious at Steve for "attacking her precious angel". Which made her "angel" angry and had him scream at her, calling her names and some rather stinging but unfortunately accurate stuff. Bruce and Bucky took the super couple's side while staying out of conflict. Thor was a bit torn but defended his brother's honour. And Tony... Tony was... acting weird. He defended his son and kept throwing condoms at Steve.

"So you don't get her pregnant", he said when Loki was a girl. "No need for babies to run around."

"I wouldn't mind having Steve's babies", the goddess pouted.

"Then at least do your old man a favour and wait ten years? No need to rush."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Steve had said, looking alarmed.

Natasha Tony ignored and he freaked out everytime Jarvis stepped out of the wall. Even if he was building a suitable body for the sudden sentient A.I. he still freaked. And when Thor was around... he flipped completely. Anything he was holding when either flying or was crushed in his suddenly much stronger grip. When speaking he trailed off. A mere touch from anyone while the Thunderer was present made him jump.

It was, for a lack of a better word, chaos. Which of course was exactly what Fury walked in on that day. A screaming match between Nat and Loki, Bruce and Bucky shielding Steve, Jarvis trying to calm his master while Thor had the expression of a kicked puppy since Tony refused to look at him. The black man stared at them, completely flabbergast. Then he roared.

"What the flerking is going on here?"

Everyone stopped. They looked at the director. Who at that moment very much lived up to his name. He looked livid.

"Just some slight disagreements, Director Fury", Jarvis said.

"And who the heck are you?"

"I'm Jarvis, Director."

"Stark, what have you done?"

"Become a god", Tony grinned widely. "God of invention and innovation. Sounds pretty good, right. So I will be around for a while. Apparently me becoming a god gave Jarvis sentience, neat huh?" Says the guy who still freaks out at his own creation.

"Uhu... amd what's up with you two", Fury nodded to Nat and Loki who was still glaring at each other. "Last time I checked you were pretty tight."

"Aunt Nat is bullying Steve", the young god said. "I won't stand for it."

The expression on the black man's face was hilarious in Clint's opinion. Trying to smoother his snorting laughter it still got his boss attention.

"Agent Barton, could you please explain to me what's going on?"

"Of course, sir", he said. Feeling every eye on him he decided to go with simple facts. "Agent Romanoff has over a long period of time expressed her disapproval of the relationship between Captain America and Loki Stark. She had started to come around but then learnt recently that they have started having sex. Thus the disagreements." Oohhh, Fury looked even more flabbergasted and it was hilarious.

"Are you telling me that Captain America, Steve Rogers, are having an intimate relationship with the god of mischief?"

"Yes sir."

"Captain Rogers, care to explain?"

" _ **No**_." The word was spoken with power and gravity. Fuming Loki was standing tall, hands in tight fists and power whipping around him. "No more of this. I will not allow this anymore. We are done explaining. Done excusing ourselves. I'm done. Done being told I don't know my own mind or my own heart. This is enough." 

Clint felt alarm as he watched darkness entering those green eyes. The beginning of hatred. Of madness. The god had been pushed to far. Then Tony swept his boy into his arms, holding him close. Murmuring to him. Slowly the god relaxed. Stark waved Steve over and gently placed his son in the soldier's arms. The Captain kissed Loki's temple and the darkness receded slowly until it was gone. Drained the young deity slumped in his lover's arms, allowing himself to be comforted. The engineer turned to Fury.

"I think you are aware but this tower is my property. Next time, book an appointment like any normal person would", he said before looking at Natasha. "Nat, I told you before. I have the final say when it comes to my son. Your behaviour is starting to affect him in a detrimental way. I have given my okay for their relationship and while you don't like it I need you to accept it. At the moment you are only creating a toxic environment and I can't allow that."

Then he walked out of the room. Ignoring the mess he left behind.

* * *

 

"Stark... Tony... wait." He caught up with genius a corridor down from the common area. Stopping Tony waited until they were face to face. "Have I done something to earn your ire?"

Stark was quiet for a moment before speaking. "I don't remember a lot of what happened after I broke up with Pepper. Most of it is pretty woozy. But I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine you kissing me." Thor felt his stomach drop and his heart clench. How could he explain? What could he say to salvage this. "What I can't grasp is the why. Why would you kiss me? You are not Loki who might do it as a prank. I was barely awake which would have made it redundant anyway. I'm willing to listen but I want the truth."

Feeling like a small boy the Thunderer shifted uneasily before he began talking. "When I came back after my brother's murder I was not in my right mind."

"That's putting it mildly."

"Of all our friends. Of all of my friends you were the only one who seemed able to understand. Then Loki was returned and I got to see how amazing you could be. How brilliant yet loving. I found myself mesmerized. However, you were courting lady Pepper and I respected that. Then..."

"Hold on", Tony held up a hand. Staring at the god. "Are you trying to tell me you are in love with me?" Looking incredulous the inventor was at a loss for words. Instead of speaking Thor simply nodded, feeling exposed. He had been with men before, at times even convinced he was in love with them. Then there had been Jane but none had caused his heart to beat like this except the brilliant man before him. No one.

"Erm... are you not meant to become king or something. Like you are going to need a kid one day. I mean I have one but I doubt Loki would want that. Or be wanted." Again the god of thunder felt exposed.

"I... I actually already have a daughter..."

" _What?_ Since when?"

"A few centuries ago I and Lady Sif had a... thryst. The result were Thrúd. Our daughter. She is currently being fostered on Vanaheim by my mother's sister. It was deemed safer for her since both Sif and I was considered to hotheaded and irresponsible to care for her. I've seen her over the years and she knows who I am... honestly... she was closer to Loki. When he was... part of Asgard. She loves magic and Loki would often visit Vanaheim to borrow books from their library. He began teaching her."

"If you were a human, how old would you have been when she was born?"

"I would guess somewhere between fourteen and sixteen. It is hard to say."

Tony nodded slowly in understanding. "So you were basically kids yourselves. Makes sense that someone else would take care of her. But man you were up to stuff early eh."

"Sif and I was always encouraged to be intimate from an early age. We have not been together since but the pressure was there for a long time afterwards. Thrúd is my first-born and therefore my heir. As long as she stays healthy it is better if I had no more children."

"Alright. I got it. With that out of the way there is still something I don't get. What can you possibly see in me?"

Thor walked closer and placed his hands on the inventor's face, leaning in. "You are an amazing person, Tony. Even Idun approves of you, granting you godhood. Your mind, your brilliance, your compassion. Your love. That huge heart of yours that have been bruised so many times by those who claimed to love you and you still are willing to love." By now Tony's face was completely red and he looked embarrassed. "I love you, Tony Stark, because you are you." He brought their lips together. The smaller man made a surprised noise in his throat. He was still red faced when Thor released him.

"You...", Tony's voice pitched and he cleared his throat. "You know how to knock a guy of his feet, huh. Love me... that's..." Again the god brought their lips together, this time deepening the kiss and wrapping his arms around the inventor's back. The man grabbed his shirt to keep his balance as he was kissed thourogly. Very, very thourogly. When the god of thunder let up he was panting hard, lips wet and red. And had a very obvious tent in his pants. Smiling Thor kissed his temple.

"Don't look so...  smug Thunder boy..." Tony panted. "Just because you... know how... to... to kiss..."

"I can do more than kiss", the Thunderer. "I've been saving all these small little packages you left around for the Captain and my brother. Maybe we could put them to use?" The expressions flickering across the inventor's face was amusing and rather naked. Exposed like a raw nerve. The most prominent was lust. Unashamed, unbridled lust.

* * *

 

Well... he would certainly never be able to make a hammer joke again. Thor was persistent and very vigorous in bed. And well endowed. Had Tony still been a normal human it might have been to much for him. As it was he felt sore but also pleasantly spent. The Thunderer was still kissing and licking his skin while caressing with his big hands. A generous lover, that was obvious, who took great pleasure in bringing out climaxes in his partner. Even if he himself did not. A warm, wet tongue swept between his legs and Tony jolted.

"I can do no more I'm afraid, Thunder boy", he said. "I'm spent." Thor looked up at him and smiled before climbing up, giving him was of those heavy kisses.

"I'd say it is more a matter if you want more rather than do more", the god said, hot breath tickling over bare skin.

"Do I want more of your hammer? Do you really need to ask that? But I'm spent. Can't get it back up." His mouth were plundered, he moaned heavily, enjoying the sheer mass of Thor on top of him. He then felt a familiar sensation between his legs. "What the... how?"

"I've been called a fertility god", the massive blonde said, looking smug. "As long as you want it, I can bring it out."

Tony gave him a wicked grin in return. It had been a long time since someone could keep up with him like this. Who wanted it just as much. "Bring it on Thunder boy, I'm ready for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter people!
> 
> Glad påsk from Sweden.


	27. Chapter 27

"Natasha Romanoff." She stopped midstep. No one sneaked up on her. No one. Behind her stood a tall, blonde woman wearing a mix between a dress and a toga. Her face was youthful yet ancient. "I am Idun."

"The one who made Stark into a god. Was that really a good idea?" The spy looked at the goddess challenging.

"The qualities in an immortal soul are more profound than the surface visible to a mortal."

"Why have you come to me?"

"I've come to offer you something." From her basket Idun took a red apple the size of a heart. The red colour could have come from a child's crayon box. Vivid, strong. "This can give you what you are lacking."

"And what is it exactly you believe I lack? A magic apple?"

"It can give back what was taken from you. Your heart. Your future. Your humanity. With this you will be able to become a mother in truth. The 'graduation' reversed."

Natasha felt suddenly faint. It was different from what she had expected. The things the red room took. Forced to become a weapon. She could have a family of her own. Blinking she realised the apple was in her hand. Silently crying she ate it. Eternity wasn't something she needed, but she could admit she had grieved long for her inability to have children. 

* * *

 "You are Bruce Banner", he looked up, startled. "I am Idun. I've come to make you an offer."

"An offer?" So this was the rumoured goddess. She placed a light blue apple on the table. He peered suspiciously at his soup. Had he taken the wrong mushrooms?

"Fear not. With this fruit you and you alter ego can live in harmony with each other. Both will exist but not in constant strife but as comrades. Friends. You will also be able to have a family."

He dropped the spoon, splattering soup over the table. Without any hesitation he took the weird coloured fruit and chomped it down without hesitation. Barely chewing, certainly not knowing what it tasted like. An hour later he was still sobbing. For the first time since his accident was he completely at peace with himself. No longer did he have to fear the Other guy. They were at peace with one another and would be able to live side by side.

* * *

 

"If my brother is dating my dad, neither of whom is related to me by blood, does that make me Thrúd's uncle or her brother?" Loki was lying with his back on the seat of the sofa, legs in the air with feet crossed, head hanging over the edge and he was playing with a ball. The news that Thor and Tony had decided to date, see how things would go, wasn't an issue for him. After all, both had accepted his own relationship without any fuzz. If they made each other happy, so be it. Learning that Thor had a daughter was more surprising. Had he known her? In his previous life? Apparently Thrúd lived on another realm. Neither Asgard or Midgard. She was about 350 years old, meaning she was just a little younger than Loki himself.

"Does it matter?" Barton said. The god was still a bit uneasy around him but at least he stayed out of people's business. "Just go with whatever. You've never met her anyway."

"True. Do you have children?" The archer tensed visibly, a rather telling reaction even if the man failed to realise.

"No." It was a lie but the Trickster let him get away with it. Not everything had to be told. Maybe Clint was protecting them and therefore pretended they didn't exist. So he made a sound, letting it go either way. His phone started buzzing and he fished it out of his pocket, sitting up properly in the process. It was Liam.

"Hey man, what's up!" the black teen said. "Everything cool?"

"Hey! Yeah everything is good. You?"

"It's okay. The new school is a bit to get used to but the teachers are good and no one is bullying me."

"That's great!"

"Yep. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to hang tomorrow since it's Saturday. We could like grab a bite, go shopping and maybe catch a movie or something. Think your old man is letting you go?"

"That sounds fun! I'm sure Dad will have no complaints. What sounds like a good time?"

"If we are going to grab a bite maybe around one o'clock at the mall?"

"Sure! I see you there!"

They hung up after chatting a bit more. It had been a while since Loki talked with someone his own age. He had not realised how much he misses the easy comradery that existed between teens. Maybe he could convince his dad to let him return to school. With that in mind he went to ask Thor to make the next day sunny. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of an inquiry. I'm considering adding a sort of stinger after the last chapter of this story. The stinger would consist of a short out cut from an original story of mine that I've named _The Stormborn_ and I simply want to know if anyone is interested enough for me to write it in. Let me know.


	28. Chapter 28

Pocketing his phone and wallet Loki prepared to leave when Tony walked in, drinking some coffee. Looking slightly ruffled but wearing a satisfied smile he seemed to be doing far better than he had in months. He of course noticed that his son was on his way out.

"Hey kiddo, where are you heading"?

"I'm meeting Liam at the mall. Can't I..."

"Of course you can. Just go. Oh, hang on." The engineer began rummaging through his clothes brought up a clip of dollar bills. He unclipped the bills and handed them to Loki. Taking them the teen saw they were one thousand bills. A huge amount of them.

"Dad... are you sure? This is..." he began but Tony waved him off.

"It's fine. Go have fun, you can treat your friend as well if you want. If you will be back later than eleven let me know alright. And try to be careful. I'm not saying you can't use magic, just... be smart about it."

"Alright. I will. Love you Dad!" The young god missed the rather astonished expression on his father's face but heard the soft answer.

"Love you too, son..."

The mall was one of the buildings that had been destroyed half a decade earlier and then re-built. Upon re-building it some rather big changes had been made, making it quite unique. For one thing, the center space of the mall had green grass, flowerbeds and even shrubbery. All of it real. The roof over the space was retractable. On sunny days the glass panels retreated, allowing fresh air inside and creating a safe, relaxing environment. The shops were not affected by this but also benefited from the circulating fresh air. In case of heave rain or snow a set of metal plates could cover the glass roof, protecting it and it's costumers. Rainwater was collected and used to water the indoor park. Loki loved coming here.

Liam was waiting at the main entrance and gave the god what he called a bro hug. It was a bit silly but he didn't mind. Despite being Saturday it was not too crowded in the mall. They walked in a sedate pace.

"Man I'm starving. Let's hit the food court", the black teen said.

"Didn't you say before you wanted to try the buffet?"

"Dude... that would use up all my money."

"I can treat you though."

"I don't know... that wouldn't be right would it."

"Liam, my dad is one of the richest men alive. Before I left he handed me a bunch of cash. It won't be an issue, trust me."

"Alright, if you say so."

The buffet was large and consisted of many different dishes, hot and cold. There was also a large dessert table. After eating they headed to the arcade. Armed with a bunch of tokens they tried every game they saw. Catching up and just having fun. The topic turned to relationships and Liam could barely speak when he learned that Loki was no longer a virgin.

"Wha... seriously? Like, you and Capt... you... and you... that you... have you..."

"Breath Liam", the Trickster chuckled. "It is less of a big deal than you think. We simply reached a point when both felt comfortable to move forward. Our relationship hasn't actually changed all that much. It is stronger and we feel at ease with each other even more. That's all."

"That's all? Dude! Teens everywhere is looking forward to the time when they can pop their cherry. Especially guys."

"Guess they will be disappointed then. Sex is great but it is not life changing. You are still you. As a sorcerer I will tell you there is no magic involved."

"Come on man, let a guy dream. So what's it like? Sex I mean."

"You realise my experience can't be applied on you? I have a boyfriend and I can turn into a girl at will."

"You've done it as a girl?!"

"Sure, why miss out. Steve doesn't mind either way and he let me decide."

"Which way feels the best?"

"Neither? It is simply too different to compare you know. You need more preparation with a guy but a girl needs more foreplay. Otherwise it might hurt."

"Might?"

"I'm a god, Liam. My threshold for pain is very high even if you manage to cause it in the first place. Steve doesn't want to hurt me so it never comes to that."

"Hmm... Guess it is a world on its own."

"Not really. Oh yeah, Dad has become a god."

"What? How?"

"He ate a golden apple. Now he is the god of invention and innovation. Oh, and he is dating my brother."

Shaking his head the black teen looked kind of defeated. Pointing at a racing game he said "A match?" Loki happily agreed.

* * *

 

Putting down the last crate Sif rubbed her back. Why the queen suddenly wanted to send a huge amount of foodstuff to Midgard she couldn't comprehend. Even weirder was telling her and the Warriors Three. She had not been there since Thor's banishment. Now they were going to the Thunderer's mortal comrades with tons of Asgardian food. Volstagg had looked nearly pained at seeing all the food while not allowed to eat any of it.

"We are ready Heimdall", she told the Gatekeeper who nodded. In a flash of light they and the crates flew through the universe, landing on top of a high tower in a bustling city. A mortal with brown hair and brown eyes opened a door, leaning on the frame. In his hand he held a steaming mug.

"Do I want to know? Never mind. Yo, Thunder pants, there are some very Asgardian looking folks out here." The tone was bordering on insolent and lacked any respect for ones better. Thor soon joined the human, eyeing them uncertainty.

"Friends... what brings you here."

"Her Grace the Queen sent you food", Fandral said looking at the mortal man with familiar interest. The man noticed and made a face.

"Look Robin Hood, I'm taken and no I'm not interested", he said. "I prefer not being considered a piece of meat."

"No one will treat you like that", the god of thunder said angrily.

"Easy lover boy, I can handle myself. Tony Stark was the name. Don't bother introducing yourselves, I know already." His tone made Sif bristle.

"Watch your tongue mortal or I will cut it out myself", she hissed. Yet the man just smiled in amusement. 

"Good luck with that Xena", he replied while holding out his arm, stopping Thor from storming forward. "Easy boy, it's fine."

"It is not fine Tony", the prince said. "She threatened you and I will not stand for it."

"Save it for baby brother, he will be home soon. Besides isn't Xena over there the mother of your little girl?"

Sif didn't understand what they were talking about. Taking a deep breath she calmed down and helped the men carrying the crates inside. Other mortals joined in and helped bring them in. They were a motley crew and made jest throughout the whole thing. One of the blonde mortals almost matched Thor in build and was nearly as strong. How was a mystery. Suddenly she heard a ping and a wall retracted showing a small metal room. Stepping out was a youth with a face she never thought she would see ever again.

Without thinking she draw her sword and rushed at the boy. Loki, it seemed, was still alive.


	29. Chapter 29

How he managed to breath for the next minutes were nothing short of a miracle. Dodging just in time Loki avoided the woman's sword and scrambled into the room. Being the closest Steve scooped him up and held him protectively. The other Asgardians quickly restrained the woman but she had already managed to anger the whole Tower. She had a wild expression as she looked at the god of mischief.

"What witchcraft is this", she demanded. "How did you escape death?"

"Sif! Calm down!" Her blonde companion said. "I'm sure there is an explaination."

"We all saw the Norns", the grim one said. "They probably have something to do with this."

"No! This is Loki. He can't be trusted." The woman, Sif, were shouting by now. Wide eyed the youthful god held Steve tighter, trembling.

"Shut up", those two words were not loud but they cut through the shouting. Tony was livid. Arms crossed and a set expression. "You don't get to come here and insult  _my_ son. You don't get to attack him and just walk away."

"Keep out of this, mortal", the grim one said. "This is Asgard's business."

"Hogun, Sif. You will stand down", Thor growled. Reluctantly they stopped their struggle, looking at their prince. "This is shameful behaviour from Asgard's most prominent warriors. She deserves better. Sif, why did you attack my brother?"

"Can't you see that he tricked you? He most have allied himself with Suttung", the female warrior said. But the Thunderer shook his head.

"No. We all saw my brother's former incarceration die, Sif. He truly did. The one you see now was brought here by the Fates. He is therefore free of any and all accusations you make. Hogun, this is Midgard not Asgard. Your actions here is their business. Beyond that, Tony has been awarded Idun's golden apple. Thus his status is above your own. You are an Asgardian. He is a true god."

Carefully Steve guided Loki to the side, out of the way and more protected. The god followed easily, not acting stubbornly. A big, fat red-haired man noticed but surprisingly he didn't say anything. Instead he simply nodded in acknowledgement.

"Now now, let's keep calm", the blonde warrior said. "Sif, Hogun, why don't you tell the Queen we have seen to her gift. Perhaps informing the King of his son's well-being?" The two grumbled a bit but went obediently out on the helipad and was soon whisked away.

"Fandral..." said Thor in confusion. "My father and my mother is well aware of Loki's new incarnation."

"I figured as much. That explains the sudden gift. Good thing though that Sif didn't figure out that your friend over there is also your lover." He nodded to the engineer. "The way both of you were talking and how you reacted gave it away."

"Sif is unlikely to notice such", the big red-head said. "She can barely bother remembering she has a daughter. Nor has she seen the girl since her birth."

"You are not against it?" the Thunderer said. "Not even you, Volstagg?"

"Nay my friend. If Idun herself has deemed him worthy then he is more than suitable", the one named Volstagg said and turned towards the soldier who was still holding Loki close. "Greetings young one. The name's Volstagg. One of the warriors three."

"Loki Stark, son of Yggdrasil and god of mischief", the teen said. "This is Steve Rogers, my boyfriend and a mighty hero."

"Stark?" Fandral said turning to Tony. "Was that not your name as well?"

"It should be since Loki is my kid. I legally adopted him", the man said pouring himself a glass of whiskey. "You can bet your asses I would have taken you all down myself if he had been hurt."

The blonde warrior chuckled and bowed to the Trickster. "It is good to see you being in such good hands, my prince." Rather than looking reassured the young god had a sickened expression.

"You used to make fun of him..." despite mumbling the words was heard by everyone. "I... I can feel it... all he wanted from you was being treated with respect but you would humiliate him instead. My former self he... he hated you..."

Silence started pressing down. The Avengers present glared at the remaining warriors. Any emotion that could cause an echo of the soul had to be strong. Meaning they had truly treated his past self badly. Steve didn't like bullies. Especially bullies who didn't seem to see anything wrong with their actions. Apparently the rest felt the same way.

"Out", Tony said. "I can to easily imagine what kind of things you did. You might not carry anger or resentment like your pals but you don't seem very sorry either. This is not some kind of second chance for you guys. And you." He nodded towards Fandral. "I bet you used to ridicule Loki for preferring men even though you chased him yourself. Not because you loved him but because you liked the thought of being the one to have sex with him. Of bringing him down by taking him."

Blanching the blonde warrior took a couple of steps back.

"Figured. See, Thor told me how same-sex relations are viewed on Asgard. Wanted me to know how you guys might view me. That's why you approve of us. I, the supposedly lesser, can't possibly be on top so it is fine. Had you taken the old Loki you would have shamed him. Get out. I don't want you here." Defeated the warrior walked out. Volstagg made to follow but hesitated, meeting Thor's gaze.

"You should bring Thrúd here", he said. "I've heard she has started having trouble in Vanaheim and Asgard isn't the best place without you there. As I said, Sif barely remembers she has a daughter." With that he walked off. In Steve's opinion that the man didn't attempt to defend his actions spoke volumes. Still, he had gotten a lot to think about.

No one stopped him when he brought his young lover to his floor. Seating Loki on the sofa he fetched the apples he had received prior, placing them on the low table. The god looked at them wide eyed.

"She gave them to me. Telling me I have three choices. I... I still don't know which choice I want to make." Carefully touching each one the tiny Trickster seemed to be able to understand what they could do. "But you should know I do have those choices."

"Steve..." green eyes met his blue ones. "I can't... this... this isn't my choice..."

"I know", he sat down beside his young lover, holding him close. "It is not that I don't want to be with you. But I've already lost so much. That's what I've thought. Seeing those people though... it made me realise just how lonely you could become. That thought... it hurts. To know you would be alone for thousands of years and having very few people at your side. Tony and Thor will do everything they can but even they can't do the impossible."

Tears had started to stream down Loki's cheeks. Bending forward Steve kissed him gently. Letting him know that the soldier loved him no matter what. He didn't try to stop the tears.

"I'm willing to spend one lifetime with you, Loki. What I need to know, would you be willing to spend eternity with me? Tied together forever through every life from here on after."

The teen was quiet and he let him think it through. In some ways Steve had already made his decision. His choice would ultimately depend on Loki's answer. Because the consequences would be so far reaching regardless it was fair that the teen took his time.

At last the god breathed out and leaned against him. "Yes. I want to be with you forever. Through eternity and beyond. I love you far beyond what I ever thought was possible. From the depth of my soul, I love you."

"I love Loki. You have given my life a purpose and allowed me to be myself in a world that expects so much from me. In all honesty, I'm selfish. I want to be your most important person for all of eternity. And beyond."

They looked into each others eyes. Seeing no doubt. No hesitation or second-guessing. Reaching out Steve took the apple, not even looking, and ate it. All while keeping eye contact with the young god. They sealed their commitment with a kiss. At first the soldier didn't feel any different, then a warmth spread through his body. Muscles already strong became stronger, more durable. Ligaments sturdier. Lungs filling even more easily with air. His heartbeat was stronger, steadier and at his core he felt the warmth pooling. Ready to be brought out. Loki laughed wetly as he looked the man over.

"Makes since you would become god of Protection", he said, trying to dry his tears. "It suits you."

With that, they kissed again. In the ether clinging shadows fell away from the god of mischief. Thorns threatening to tear through skin burned away. Strings trying to tie him down was torn, fraying. The looming darkness and the dark pit both was slowly replaced with a brilliant light. Chains that had been unseen in the dark fell open, freeing the Trickster from his fate. A golden band tied him together with a new entity. The new entity was one of warmth, love and light. No darkness could reach them in that brilliance. 

The son of Yggdrasil no longer walked alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry. I'm not done yet 😉😎
> 
> I can't begin to tell you all how much your appreciation means to me. I've had a rough few years marked by depression and unemployment. Seeing how much you all enjoy my work is giving me so much of everything. I love writing and seeing so many reading something I've written and loving it, means so so much to me. Both the kudos and all the comments you leave is truly appreciated.


	30. Chapter 30

So. Now even Steve had become a god. Figures. He did for a good reason too. Seriously. Draining his beer bottle Bucky tried not to think to hard but it wasn't always easy. Memories crowded his mind and he mourned the years lost. What could he possibly accomplish with his history. Blinking he realised a blonde woman was sitting opposite him, simply waiting. From the descriptions he figured this was Idun. He nodded and offered her a beer. Smiling she took it and drank without any awkwardness.

"Come to offer me godhood?" he asked.

"You have the qualifications", she said. "But not the confidence."

"You must have a crazy list of qualifications if I fit the bill."

"The qualities required varies slightly depending on the person involved. What I look at the most is the quality of the soul."

"Not sure I have one left. Do you have any idea what I have done?"

"Yes. You have survived against all odds. Despite years of abuse you are still here."

"Thanks to Loki. He freed my mind."

"But not your heart. That always belonged to you. Buried beneath the hurt but still beating strong. You are still here even though you now have the option of not being here."

"You mean I haven't offed myself? What an accomplishment. That would be spitting at the chance they all have given me. I can't do that."

"And that is the quality of the soul that I'm looking for. The ability to move forward and see beyond."

"Seriously? Ah, heck. Give it here then. Thor is constantly yapping about how Stark is sooo worthy. If you think I'm good enough then I'm good enough."

Idun gave him a wide smile and handed him a golden apple without preamble. "Do you have an idea what your title might be?" she asked. Bucky chewed the apple slowly, thinking about it. As he gnawed at the core he nodded sagely.

"Loyalty. God of loyalty."

"Till the end of the line?"

"Till the end of the line."

* * *

 

To say Frigga and Odin were angered by the warriors three's and Sif's actions were putting it mildly. They had been made to clean out the stables for a year as punishment. It didn't look like much but it was something they all thought was beneath them. Not that it would truly change their minds about Loki. Sighing the All-Father missed his sworn brother dearly. His wit and his intelligence. Thousands of years, still it ached to think about. Maybe the four warriors needed to learn about the former Trickster god. Preferably from someone other than himself. Did anyone remain who not only remembered but also had at least a neutral opinion of Loki.

Odin brooded for a while, trying to find someone he could ask. Most had to be dismissed. They remembered only a traitor. Then he walked outside the training god and suddenly it came to him. Tyr. The god of war, Asgard's general, had known the old Loki and had held him in high regard. Without waiting the old king walked to the general's office. As usual the door was open and Tyr was busy writing. Many millennia ago the man had lost his right hand to Fenrir, one of Loki's sons. The poor boy had been turned into an enormous wolf, losing all rationality, by his own mother. It had been when they tried to constrain the out of control animal that Tyr lost his hand. Never once had he placed any blame on the Trickster god. Nor on his son. Even after he held nothing but high regard for Odin's sworn brother. 

When the king knocked on the door the greying man looked up in surprise. He was rarely disturbed. His quill paused over the page. "My King?" Tyr said. "What is the matter?" Closing the door Odin sat down in the room's only other chair. As usual the words on the document were written mirrored. From right to left instead of left to right. A way to avoid dragging his hand in the inc since he had to use his left.

"Do you remember Loki", Odin asked, leaning back in the chair. He received an odd look.

"I would hardly forget the prince this soon my liege. Not with how he died."

"No... not my son... the Loki before. My brother." Understanding blossomed on the general's face. An expression of sorrow followed.

"Aye... I remember him. He was a good man. Mischievous and an odd sense of humour but a good man. I've missed his presence many times. Although his successor managed to live up to their name."

"Both my brother and my son suffered. I have reason to believe they share a soul."

"I thought that was obvious? I mean, they have the same title."

"I guess I didn't want to see it. Until now."

"Have something happened?"

"The Norns gave Loki a new body. He has reincarnated on Midgard as a teenage boy. He is different from before, surrounded by people who cares and loves him."

"Really? On Midgard? The mortals are an intriguing lot."

"That they are. I have a request for you."

"My King, you don't need to ask me."

"I do, because I'm approaching you as a friend, not the All-Father. I trust you are familiar with Sif and the Warriors three?"

"I am."

"What I'd like to ask of you is telling them about Loki from Jotunheim. He has either been forgotten or remembered as a traitor. You had a more neutral opinion of him and believed in his innocence."

"You won't speak of him yourself?"

"It is my belief that they will listen better to someone who was not as close. Will you accept my request."

"As your friend then, yes Odin, I accept your request."

* * *

 

He was so not ready for this. Even though he himself had suggested it. The whole troupe was gathered on the helipad, waiting for the rainbow coloured wormhole to deposit one teenage goddess. It was rather crazy that only three of them were still mortal. Bruce and Natasha seemed more than satisfied with what they had received so no one argued. Tony glanced at Thor, the big guy was obviously nervous. No wonder, he hadn't seen his daughter for nearly a century. Supposedly she was around three hundred and fifty years old. Which apparently made her approximately the same age as Loki. If Loki had been a normal kid in every sense of the words.

As usual the Tower shook a bit from the impact of the Bifrost and left the usual mark. In the centre stood a blonde girl with piercing blue eyes. Thrúd looked so much like Thor it was no doubt he was her father. Clad in a leather armour complete with a leather skirt and leather sandals she looked to the inch like a warrior. Scanning the group the goddess locked in on the god of thunder. Walking up to him with hard eyes. The poor guy looked terrified.

Thrúd eyed her father critically, casting none to subtle glances at the others - pausing a bit when seeing Loki - before addressing him.

"Hello father", she said in an icy tone. "Nice to see I matter to you after all this time. I was beginning to think you had forgotten me." Then she slapped him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I'm typing this I'm waiting for a showing of Avengers Endgame to start. I have no expectations and avoided the last few trailers to keep my curiosity intact for as long as possible. I'm excited and am looking forward to this. I can give you guys some spoiler free thoughts with the next chapter.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... wow! Endgame was a literal rollercoaster. Things were happening all the time. It was crazy. When the credits started rolling people actually applauded. Oh and I might as well tell you all to NOT wait out the credits. No end-credit scene.

It didn't really hurt. She was still an adolescent girl after all. His heart on the other hand were aching. Thrúd was furious. Her sapphire eyes were a cold flame. Before he could react she had slapped him again.

"Really? Now you ask for me? Now?" she yelled. "After how many centuries Father? How many centuries did you go on adventures across the universe? Did I cross your mind when grandmother didn't remind you?"

"Thrúd... I..."

"You didn't even come to tell me about Uncle Loki yourself. Do you know how I found out? From Skadi! Cackling about his death and seeming so very smug with herself. Great-grandfather tried to keep her quiet when she gloated but she didn't care." Tears formed in her eyes and she began beating his chest with her fists. "He cared more about me than you ever did. He would pretend to visit the library so could spend time with me. And you couldn't even tell me about his death yourself. I hate you! I hate you! You are the worst. The worst."

Seeing his little girl sobbing while wailing, pouring her heart out made something break in Thor. He swooped her into his arms and held her close, murmuring apologies over and over. Her hands grabbed at his shirt, still crying.

"I'm so so sorry, Thrúd. I know I have failed you as a father. All I can ask is that you give me another chance. This time I will do better. I promise", he said, holding her closer.

"You promise?" she whined in such a miserable voice.

"Aye. I promise you, daughter, I will be better."

"Alright. Emotional reunion over. Can we get to the introductions?" Snorting Thor looked at Tony, his lover blinked and had a smile on his lips. Of course he would defuse the tension. "My name is Tony Stark, newly titled god of invention and innovation. I'm also, what you call it, courting this hunk of meat you call Dad."

The goddess chuckled wetly and released her father to face him properly. She clasped his arm. "Good meeting you, Lord Stark. I'm sorry for my unseemly behaviour."

"Don't sweat it, hun. This lad over here is my son."

"You look a lot like my uncle..."

"Well... I was your uncle in my former life I suppose. I'm Loki Stark. I think I'm going to call you cousin." The Trickster gave her a hesitant hug. Thrúd seemed slightly unnerved by him but greeted the rest without incident. She was surprised that three mortals had been granted immortal souls, yet she took in stride. Tony had Jarvis call for pizza. Once they were seated inside and had consumed a couple of pizzas Steve spoke up.

"Didn't your dad say something about a Skadi? She did something to his brother?" he said. "Or am I remembering incorrectly."

"No..." Thor furrowed his brows in thought. "I recall Father saying she was responsible for his death."

"Who are you talking about?" Thrúd looked between them.

"My namesake", Loki said. "Or more accurately a past incarnation of mine. He was Odin's sworn brother. Didn't Skadi release the snake whose venom killed that Loki?"

"Not Suttung?" They stared at her. "She talked about someone named Suttung who had pleased her." Thor gripped the table top hard.

"Hey hey, I haven't god-proofed that yet. Calm down lover boy. What is it?"

"I have wondered how Suttung managed to return to Asgard and cast his spell. Loki had bested him a few centuries earlier and afterwards he made wards to keep him out. Skadi is a powerful sorceress. She could have aided that traitor and taught him the spells he used."

"This doesn't confuse you?"

"Nah, I'm used to it. Thor, do you think Skadi was aware that my former self was also the reincarnation of the Loki she knew."

"It is possible. I wish I could let my father know... what if she tries something here."

"Then we kick her butt." Tony had that stubborn expression on his face. "We are Earth's mightiest heroes. We don't lose to a crappy granny who is way too nasty."

"Skadi is a giant..." Thrúd said. "One of the last who isn't a frost giant. She is hardly a 'crappy granny'."

"Listen honey. Nothing is allowed to happen to a kid of mine. I won't let it. Loki is my son, you are Thor's daughter. If that woman comes here she won't find an easy target."

* * *

 

She was given a floor of her own after declined sharing her father's. They were not that close. Not after all this time. Her uncle had told many stories about the man who had sired her. Both good and bad, not trying to glamourise the prince. Rarely he had spoken of her mother, trying to say something good and failing. The woman had completely abandoned her. 

Speaking of her uncle. Loki stood awkwardly in the doorway, having been asked to show her around. He looked a lot like the dead prince but their personalities were nothing alike. Picking at his clothes he kept rolling on his heels. Most of all he avoided looking at her. Well, this princess wasn't a complete fool. The boy was like any boy after all.

"Alright, let it out", she demanded.

"Hm?"

"Your crush on me. It is understandable, I'm pretty but in the end useless." He stared at her for half a minute before he started laughing loudly. Clutching his side. "What's so funny?" She pouted.

"I'm dating Steve", her fellow god said. "We have promised eternity to each other. There is no way I would be interested in you that way. I simply don't know you yet and felt out of place with you."

"You are dating the Captain?"

"Yep."

"Is dating the same as courting. Like our fathers?"

"I guess so. I'm not entirely sure but we are a couple."

He left soon after and she happily made for bed. Not that she would admit it but the day had drained her. The next morning she made her way to the so-called common floor in search of breakfast. Freya had been a good guardian but a bit absent-minded at times. Standing in the area she recognised as the kitchen were her father's lover. Tony Stark she recalled. The man was holding a bright red mug that he drank from.

"Good morning", she greeted. He looked up at her, glancing at some displayed numbers.

"Crap... I was up all night again", he muttered. "Morning to you too sweet cheeks."

Frowning the goddess crossed her arms. She did not like how he addressed her. "I demand breakfast." she said.

"Alright. I get you are pissed at Thor but that doesn't excuse bratty behaviour. Either you ask nicely or make it yourself", the man said while pointing at her. "No one here is your servant. Got it?" Thrúd huffed and stomped her feet angrily.

"I want breakfast!"

"And I just told you how to get it."

"I'm a princess! I will not be denied!"

"You can eat sweety but you can't order people around here. Ask nicely or make it yourself. Those are you only two options. Well, I guess you could choose to go hungry but that would be kind of stupid."

Thrúd felt like shrieking. How dare he? God he may be but he had started out mortal. Besides, she was a princess and he was just her father's lover. No one important.

"Time's up, Honey. I'm heading to the workshop. Jarvis, you can advise her but nothing else. And tell the others."

"You can't do this, you are not my father."

"No, I'm not but this is  _my_ tower."

* * *

 

"I apologize for making you discipline my daughter, Tony..." the god of thunder looked miserable. Apparently Thrúd had thrown a massive tantrum after he left but since Jarvis had informed everyone it didn't get her anywhere.

"Don't worry about it, Lover boy", the engineer said. "You have more to lose at this point than I have. Besides, I'm already handling one teen. Loki is polite and considerate but he has his moments."

"I'm aware but... I just feel I'm forcing my problems on you..."

Tony put down the screwdriver and stood, walking over to Thor. While sitting the Thunderer didn't loom over him and it made looping his arms around his neck easier. Warm hands come to rest on his lower back.

"We are a team, alright. We are doing this together. She will come around eventually. Let me weather her tantrums while you get to know her. I can handle it."

His air supply was squeezed from his lungs as the big blonde pressed him against his chest. Before it would have crushed him but Thor was still much stronger physically than him.

"Need... to... breath..." The thunder god let go immediately with a panicked expression. Tony chuckled and gave the big teddy bear a kiss. It had been unexpected to find that beneath that boisterous exterior was a young man filled with uncertainties and sometimes faltering self-confidence. As usual it felt good, kissing the other. Getting used to the beard had taken a while, now he just let himself enjoy it.

"I'm glad to have you by my side, Tony."

"Well, I'd say the same about you. So. We are good." They stayed in the embrace because why not.


	32. Chapter 32

"I remember clearly the aftermath of Angrboda's curse. Till this day I know not if she truly hated her children or that her hatred for Loki was greater than her love for them. But the result was... horrible", Tyr was seated on a barrel with a tankard of mead in his hand. Sitting on crates, or in Volstagg's case one the ground, were Hogun, Fandral and Sif. They had not been entirely pleased with these forced history lessons but couldn't refuse either. "I remember in particular Fenrir. That poor boy. He was a bright child, quick of mind and limb. His mother's curse turned him to a giant wolf. Initially he held on to his rationality but with the curse came madness. Soon he had lost his mind completely. He killed and destroyed without care. Loki asked the dwarf Ivaldi to fashion a chain capable of binding his son, hoping that the restraints would allow him time to return to him mind."

"Because that is a sound plan", Sif scoffed.

"He was desperate, lady Sif. Imagine if Thrúd was turned into a mindless beast, killing without hesitation." She frowned and muttered something to Hogun who gave her an unimpressed look.

"Thrúd is your daughter with Thor", the Vanir said in a flat voice. Shrugging the woman kept her eyes on Tyr.

"I recall hearing you lost your hand to a huge wolf", Fandral mused. "Was it perhaps to this monster?"

"Don't call Fenrir a monster, lord Fandral. He was a victim. And yes, it was when binding him I lost my hand. Loki had intended to do it himself, not wanting his son to hurt anyone else, but I and Odin didn't let him. At this point people still looked up to him. He was the sworn brother of the prince after all. For a short while it seemed to work. Loki attempted returning his mind but the madness came back worse than before."

"What did you do with him?" Volstagg asked. "I doubt that Loki would have taken kindly to any violent actions towards his son."

"You imagine him as the prince but Loki of Jotunheim was different. The myths of humans claim that Fenrir is chained until Ragnarok is unleashed but in truth he is already dead. Seeing that his son was beyond saving Loki took a sword himself and killed him. I know for a fact that it pained him greatly to so so but he felt it was his burden as the father."

"He killed his own son?" Hogun spat. "What a coward."

"Quite the opposite, he was very brave. Well aware the consequences of his actions, yet doing it anyway for the sake of his son. It was an act of mercy good Hogun. Not selfishness or cruelty."

"What of his other children?" Sif said. "You made it sound like he had more than one."

"He had several, yes. Jormungand was turned into a giant snake. So big he encircled Midgard completely. Fearing for his other son Loki made Jor into a guardian, protecting the Nine Realms from threats. I suspect he was roused during the Chitauri incursion and has kept the Mad Titan away. Hela... she was beautiful before the curse and afterwards half her face and body were ruined. Loki made a deal with Death herself, making his daughter queen of Hel in Helheim."

"So he only lost one child?"

"He lost all of them, lord Fandral. He could never see either of them again. Maybe a new incarnation of Loki could meet with a proxy of Jormungand but never Hela. That's why he will never go to Hel in his death. Then there was Narfi and Vali..."

"Who were they?" Hogun asked.

"After Angrboda Loki married Sigyn. A beautiful and gentle woman. Had she been a goddess she would have had the title goddess of fertility. She had great patience for her often mischievous husband and didn't mind his sometimes odd behaviour. They had two sons, both shapeshifters like their father. One day they were running in the forest as wolves when a party of hunters came upon them. The first arrows wounded them both and they changed back to make the hunters cease their actions. Instead they were cut down. Loki and Sigyn demanded weregild from the hunters but they refused, saying the boys had been demons. Of course the old Trickster god took revenge in his own way but his wife killed herself. It broke him."

"Did he also kill himself then?"

"Nay lady Sif, but he might have if not for his sworn brother. Odin refused to lose his brother to despair. Until his death he would live here in the palace. Come with me."

Tyr rose and led them through the palace corridors until they reached a fresque depicting two men. The men shared a cup of wine and blood spilled from their palms onto the others' lap. They were seated on the same bench. One of the men had dark blonde hair and a golden spear rested at his feet. The other man had brown reddish hair with streaks of blonde and black. His eyes blue. He had a staff across his lap.

"I think you can recognise Odin. The other one is his brother. Loki of Jotunheim", he told the four warriors. They studied the fresque intently. Hogun's eyes narrowed.

"I recall that both the single cup and the shared bench is symbolic of non-platonic relationship", he said.

"Wait", Fandral held up a hand. "The All-Father bedded his brother?" Tyr shrugged, not fazed at all.

"It used to be fairly common among those of sworn brotherhood. It was a way to express the love and regard they had for one another. Nothing else. Only rarely was the intimacy connected to romantic love or even desire. Simply something they could share and enjoy together without obligations and expectations. Odin and Loki were no different. Outside of the palace few knew they were brothers, believing them only close friends."

"If it used to be common, why did it change?" The vain warrior remarked.

"At that time it was not seen as a humiliation to be the receiving partner when to men bedded each other. Friends, shield brothers, sworn brothers. Sharing a physical relationship was just another way of being close. It was not even viewed as infidelity if one of the men were married."

"So why did things change?"

"Because of war... shortly after Odin took the throne and Loki lost his life to false accusations a war broke between Vanaheim, Alfheim and Asgard. Captured warriors were violated by their captors as means of breaking them. Humiliating them. Vanaheim and Alfheim started this practise, and with her vindictive nature Asgard soon followed suit. When the war ended, physical intimacy between two men became something to shame. Especially the receiving partner. The notion that two male friends could bed one another without obligation were now considered an abomination."

"Why have we never heard of this Loki before now?" Volstagg said. "I'm surprised the king has said nothing."

"Because he died while being viewed as a traitor. He was blamed for Balder's death and the newly crowned king couldn't come to his brother's defence. Many wanted to think him a traitor. His mischievous nature making people suspicious of him and many resented his close relationship to the king. Odin didn't want to hear the constant accusations after Loki's death and banned his name for several centuries. After the war, few remained to remember him. Among those even fewer believed in his innocence."

"So three Loki's", Fandral laughed. "I would have been fine with one and one only but I guess the Norns think differently."

"As should you", the old general admonished. "The soul of the Trickster is one of the oldest in the entire universe. Within his power is the power to change. Propelling history forward with his mere presence. He was however never meant to suffer so much. Pray that he finds happiness. Otherwise chaos turns from change to destruction."

"You exaggerate surely", Volstagg protested. "Besides, the lad seemed to be doing quite fine when we saw him. Surrounded by people who care. Thor even said one of them had been granted an immortal soul!"

Tyr didn't answer. The were no point preaching to those who would not listen. He hoped that this incarnation of the Trickster would be happy. For all their sakes.

* * *

 

He watched as his father fiddled with a new invention together with Jarvis. The now sentient A.I had finally got a body. After long negotiations Tony had managed to buy vibranium from Wakanda. Enough to craft a robotic body. He now managed to build and improve things with lightning speed. It helped that the engineer could assemble his inventions using only his mind. It was a bit unstable and he if he drifted of the results could get... weird. On the other hand, the speed meant his father spent far less time in his workshop. Kicking his feet Loki wondered how he was going to approach this. Head on, like Steve? It could work.

"Dad? I want to go back to school", he said. Startled, Tony dropped the equipment he was working on. 

"Loki... you know that's not a good idea. Last time was bad enough. Do you want to go through that again?"

"It would not be the same. At that time I was still getting used to my new life. I didn't know how to navigate social situations. I do now."

"But you don't  _need_ to go to school. You are already at a higher level and you've learnt how to behave properly around people. And how to mess with them."

"But I don't have friends..." Loki kept his eyes on the floor, knowing he had just given his dad a reason to feel guilty. "I love all of you in the Tower. Steve is my everything and I know how much all of you have sacrificed for my sake. But I miss hanging around people who doesn't care about any of that. Whose problems are their grades, their popularity, if they will get a boyfriend or girlfriend. When I hang out with Liam recently I felt less like a god a more like..."

"...a teenager...", Tony finished for him. The Trickster let his eyes drift from the floor. His dad had a far away look, deep in thought. "Alright... I guess you want to attend Liam's school... maybe we should make Thrúd go. Claiming she's a special needs kid or something. There someone who could use a reality check. Only she might punch someone through a wall."

Smiling the god of mischief felt a warmth in his heart. His father had actually listened and allowed him to have the choice. Not that his dad was unlikely to listen but still. "Can't you make an inhibitor or something? Limiting her physical strength?" The inventor looked like he had had an epiphany and started scribbling away. "Can I take her shopping? Her wardrobe needs improvement." Tony didn't quite manage to hide his horrified expression.

* * *

Officially Loki and Thrúd were out shopping on their own. Unofficially Thor and Steve had tagged along. Just out of sight and not out of earshot. It had been the only way to assure Tony everything would be fine. The god of mischief handled the girl fairly well, stopping her from causing trouble and made her put on different outfits. Rarely the kind she was drawn to, leather and some really weird things, but once she put it on she liked it. Steve guessed his tiny lover went for a punk, goth kind of look with her with some more mild elements sprinkled in. Loki also convinced her to visit a hair salon. They shortened her hair somewhat and pulled her hair up in a sideways ponytail that they then ruffled. At a make-up store they taught her to apply the stuff and advised her on what colours to use. With some input from the Trickster.

"I thought I would look like a jester but this is actually pretty neat", Thrúd remarked while looking herself over in a mirror. "I look dangerous. I like that. Freya would always make me wear these hideous gowns and insist I needed to at least look like a lady."

"This does suit you better", Loki agreed. "Punk chic. You might like the music genre as well."

"I wonder if my father would have an heart attack if he saw me like this."

"I kind of doubt that", the young god looked in the two men's direction. It was no surprise he had realised they were there but he didn't say anything. "Why do you hate Thor so much anyway?"

The girl sighed and flopped down on a bench in an undignified manner. "I don't really hate him, you know. I just wish he hadn't given me away only to pop in and out of my life. At least my mother hasn't made a show of care."

"I was told my brother was fairly young when you were born... not many centuries older than you are now. Sometimes the best we can do for someone we love is letting them go."

"Doesn't explain why he didn't bring me back before now. And why he didn't tell me about Uncle."

"I would guess he wasn't ready. I'm no parent so I don't know. Just give him a chance. As for my former self... Steve told me Thor was in a horrible state for a long time. Self-destructive and generally not feeling well. He barely recovered until the Norns brought me here."

"He's an idiot..."

"No, just more sensitive than people realise. Because he hasn't been allowed to show that side of himself he acted as if he wasn't affected by anything. I'm glad he is with my dad. Tony might not be very good at talking about feelings but he doesn't pretend they don't exist. Finding that one person who allows you to truly be yourself is special."

"Speaking from personal experience?"

"Yep. Hey, wanna grab lunch? I know Steve and my brother is supposed to be nearby for their own business. We should meet up with them."

Standing up Loki made a show of calling Steve on his phone, he didn't, said where they were going and then pretended to end the call. The soldier smiled. His young lover was as always very clever. He laughed at Thor who could barely keep from running so he could show his daughter that he cared.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm the kind of person who don't have favourites. There are plenty of things I like and enjoy but I don't have favourites. I don't have a favourite movie, a favourite artist, favourite colour, favourite food or favourite animal. I'm not even a dog or cat person, I like both. There are things I have a weakness for but still not favourites.
> 
> Apparently this is odd... which sort of describes me anyway. Why be normal?


	33. Chapter 33

"Hello Loki." He blinked. Surrounded by darkness he tried to locate the voice. It belonged to a female, that he could tell. Seeming to float on nothing everything felt... ethereal. "This is the dreamscape", the woman said amd this time he saw her. Half her hair were ebony black like his own, the other half were silver white. He could barely see her other features but he did notice a pair of agate eyes. Something about her felt familiar. 

"Who are you?"

"I am Hela." Loki stared at her, thinking he must have heard her wrong.

"The goddess of death, ruler of Helheim?" He asked, just to be sure.

"Indeed. In a life long past, you were my father." The god of mischief tilted his head as he did at times. His former self had been her father? Wouldn't Thor have mentioned that? Unless... unless she was the daughter of Loki of Jotunheim. An even older incarnation. "My father sought to save me from my mother's cruelty only to suffer further himself. The bargain he made with Death was that he would never enter Hel, in exchange I would become the ruler of the dead."

"Alright... but... where are we?"

"As I said before. We are in a dreamscape. It is the only way for me to see you. We are forbidden from meeting in any realm but there are no rules about meeting in dreams."

"Makes sense I suppose. But I'm not your dad, you know. Why would you want to meet me?"

"I watched over my father till his death at the hands of Skadi and then in his new life as a prince of Asgard. When he tried to end his life in the Void, I sheltered him, hoping to save him. But as he faced death at the hands of Suttung I realized he could not find happiness even if I once more saved his life."

"You are feeling guilty", Loki said with sudden understanding. Tears filled those agate eyes, more of her appearance became visible. Deep grief was etched into her face.

"I loved my father. I grieved for him so many times. Hoping he would find solace somehow. For a long time it seemes like he could get it as Odin's son but then that too fell apart. If I hadn't sheltered him in the Void he would never have met Thanos. He wouldn't have been tortured and later slaughtered. Death granted me the right to end the Titan's life after his actions. Weregild for lives taken and destroyed. Yet, my father had suffered once more."

"Hela..." he reached out and placed a hand on her cheek. She looked at him and he smiled softly. "I needed to be separated from my old life. To end all the suffering I had to be reincarnated. I had to die in order to live. I might face suffering still but I'm no longer alone. There are people who love me unconditionally. So please, don't feel guilty. I'm alright. I'm okay. Everything that happened allowed me reach this point. Thanks to you."

At that she smiled beautifully at him.

* * *

 

She had great students in her opinion. Oh, some were rowdy, some were shy and some needed more help. But she still believed in them and tried to encourage them. The classes had swelled a bit when students from another school came, she did what she always did and tried to encourage them. Today she was holding a history class with her own class when a knock came. 

"Whoever it is, please come in", she called. The vice-principal entered together with a pair of teens.

"Sorry to bother you Tina", she said. "These two are new students in this class and... well."

"Oh, that's great! Hi guys, welcome to the school. Why don't you introduce yourselves?" The boy stepped up and waved at some students in the class. They shouted greetings to him. Former classmates probably. 

"Hi! Good seeing you guys. For you who don't know me I'm Loki Stark. Yes, that Stark. I haven't been to school for a while but is looking forward to the rest of the year." He smiled at them and blinked. Rihanna bent forward.

"Yo, man. Don't you leave out your awesomeness. This guy here lives with the Avengers and is a freaking god who can use magic an' everything."

"That's right people", Cathy said, nudging Liam. "And this guy right here is his best friend. Ain't that so." Loki had made his way down to the group and fistbumped his friends. He then turned, gesturing to the girl.

"That's my cousin by the way", he said. Flicking her blonde hair she strode forward, crossing her arms.

"Thrúd Torsdotter, heir to the Asgardian throne", she declared. "I'm over three hundred and fifty years old. Until recently I lived on Vanaheim. Now I live with my father and his shield brothers."

Some in the class snickered. One boy shouted. "Looking good grandma."

"Mike", Tina said sternly. "One more such comment and you will spend the week at mrs. Rowals office. Understand?" She then focused on the girl again. "We know very little about other planets but we have all heard of Asgard. Is your father human perhaps?"

"No", Thrúd scowled. "Thor, the god of thunder is my father. If he had been human he would be long dead."

"Thrúd, remember what Dad told you", Loki called. "Take it easy. Come on. Just sit down." Rolling her eyes the teen joined her cousin. Despite the commotion this didn't faze Tina in the slightest. She was as always happy to have such great students. 

* * *

 

School was stupid. And boring. Yet, she behaved. Tony had told her that if she causes trouble he would lock away her weapons for a week. He had also made the bracelet she wore. It dampened her usual strength so she couldn't hurt anyone by accident. Stupid, fragile humans. Stupid Father. Stupid Loki. Stupid everyone. Even now her so called cousin were chatting with his friends. Laughing and telling stories.

"Cool outfit", someone said. Thrúd raised an eyebrow. It was a girl. She had black hair with blue highlights. Black eyeshadow, thick black eyeliner and black lipstick. Her clothes were also black and around her neck she had a leather band with metal pieces. "Digging the style. Earth stuff?"

The goddess shrugged. "Loki picked it out for me but I like it. He called it punk chic."

"Wicked. Name's Raven. We should like, totally hang." Raven's voice was oddly raspy and she spoke unnecessarily slow. It reminded the teen of the nobility on Vanaheim after they had burnt certain herbs in the braziers. Freya had always forbidden her from entering the rooms when herbs were burned. Still. This mortal was  _not_ Loki and clearly not part of his group. It couldn't hurt to have one confidante that wasn't a god.

"I agree. We should definitely hang. In fact. Let's do so right now."

"Sure, it's recess anyway. Maybe we can go to the Pit after school."

"What's the Pit?"

"It's like a rock bar but for teenagers. No alcohol which is crappy but it is still totally wicked."

Thrúd still had no idea what this pit was but oh was she going. And she could bet that she could fix alcohol as well. Midgardian stuff was like water anyway.

* * *

It was nearing midnight and his daughter had still had not returned. Loki had tried scrying for her with no luck. Thor paced the now empty lobby, unable to calm down. Why did Thrúd have to be so rebellious and prone to trouble? Well, she probably got it from him but still. The elevator opened and Tony stepped, his obligatory cup of coffee. As a god any mortal drink didn't effect him much anymore but that didn't stop him from trying. 

"Still gone huh", his lover said. "Should have included a gps in that bracelet. Whelp, I've already locked away her weapons arsenal."

"The fault is not your... I fear I should have foreseen this. It is her way of showing me her anger."

"Yeah... probably. But she is taking it a bit to far. You don't have to allow her to trample you like this. She will probably get angry and try to fight but in the long run it will be better for her. Just be reasonable and don't demand the impossible. Or expect her to be obedient. No teen is obedient."

"Thank you, Tony. I couldn't do this without you."

"You've said that a few times you know", he sipped his coffee, studying the other god before placing the cup on an empty desk. Holding out his arms. "Come here, lover boy." Thor happily embraced the man and kissed him fiercely. Some of the tension left his body. Which was good. A few moments later Thrúd walked in. She noticed them but ignored them.

"Daughter", the Thunderer said gravely. "We need to talk."

"No we don't", she snipped at him.

"Jarvis? Lock down the elevator would you? And the staircase?" The engineer had taken his cup again and gave Thor an encouraging nod. His daughter glared at him.

"What? Just spit it out then."

"Thrúd, I was worried about you. You were gone for hours, you didn't contact us and now you are acting foolishly still", the god of thunder said. "I understand there is a lot you have to adjust to but this behaviour is unexpected."

"What are you going to do about it then,  _Daddy_?"

"I will forbid you from going anywhere but school until a week from now. You will do your chores and take care of your studies. You will also not be allowed your weapons until you can behave courteous."

"He has basically grounded you, sweetie. Now jump to bed. No skipping school."

She didn't like that. Oh, she didn't like that at all. Thank the Norns for Tony who didn't let her throw a tantrum. Once they were finally in their bed he made sure to show his lover just how much he appreciated him. 

"I love you, Tony", he whispered afterwards while cradling the smaller man to his chest. A soft snore answered him but he smiled anyway.

 


	34. Chapter 34

"I want to go to Asgard." The words are so unexpected that everyone simply freeze. Clint forces his spoon to his mouth. He had seen enough of her bratty behaviour to tremble at the thought of Lila reaching her teens. True, Thrúd had calmed down in the months since her arrival but it had been a battle to say the least. Fights, tantrums, screaming and destruction. At times Thor had seemed to be on the verge of tears trying to handle his daughter. In the end it had been Loki who put her in place. He had forced her to come to a homeless shelter, Steve and Barnes volunteered there frequently, making her help out. Practically pushing her privilege in her face. That shelter was aimed primarily towards homeless teens, kids who had been kicked out of their homes or run away from foster care. It had been sobering for the goddess to discover that there were parents who could hate their children. Or who would withdraw their love if their children didn't turn out as they wanted. After that she apologised to Thor and started making an effort to behave.

"You want to go to Asgard?" The Thunderer said. "Why?"

"I've never been there. Not really... I was born there and then shipped off to Vanaheim. Besides... my mother is there. I want to meet her at least. And, I will be queen someday. That's what you said."

"Aye, you are my heir. You are making good points. I have not been to Asgard in a while myself. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit."

"I also want to go!" Several people in the room started sputtering. Loki frowned. "What?"

"You want to go to the place that has killed you twice?" Tony said. "Kiddo... that's..."

"I didn't say I wanted to go alone. You are a god. So are Steve and Bucky. Nothing stops you from coming as well. I just want to see Asgard at least once. Having my own impressions instead of echoes. Please? Summer vacation is coming up."

Steve walked up to the kid and hugged him from behind. No one bothered commenting on their relationship anymore. Rogers choosing eternity for the guy kind of made any opposition moot. "You are sure you want to do this?" the soldier asked.

"I am", the god leaned against the blonde. "I feel like I kind of have to. There is something that still keeps me tied to that world and only by going there will I be free."

"Alright. If that's what you have to do, I will come with you."

"Count me in to Mischief", Barnes said. "You saved me. I'm not letting you walk into danger without being there. You coming to right, Stark?"

"As if I would let my kid go to that place alone!" Tony huffed and shook his head. "Okidoki, a head count. Who's coming and who's staying."

"I'm staying", Clint said. "Leaving Earth is above my pay grade." Not to mention he had promised Laura to spend time at the farm.

"I don't think me going is a good idea..." Banner mumbled as he fiddled with his glasses. "Besides..." he glanced at Natasha who looked uncomfortable. 

"Do you know the effect on pregnant women travelling the Bifrost?" she asked. Thor blinked in surprise and pondered the question.

"I know not... and with you being mortal still... why Lady Natasha, are you expecting?"

They all turned to look at her and she actually blushed a bit. Just a dust of red but that was more emotion than Clint had ever seen in his partner. As answer she placed her hands on her stomach.

"I... did get a visit from Idun", the spy said. "She offered me a way to regain something that was taken from me. When I was part of the Red Room they... operated on us as a form of graduation. Making us infertile. She restored my fertility."

"Um... she actually talked with me as well", the Doctor said. "I'm no longer dangerous. The Hulk and I we have made peace with each other. Oh, and I'm not radioactive."

"Wait wait. Timeout. Nat, you are pregnant", Tony pointed at the redhead, "and you Brucie Bear will no longer hulk out without cause. Am I assuming correctly that you are a thing? Like, mini Tasha or mini Bruce is in that oven?"

Rolling his shoulder the scientist looked very uncomfortable. "Well, yeah. I guess you could put it like that."

Loki squealed and ran to them, chattering excitedly. Clint looked at his friend. She gave him a tentative smile and he blinked at her. He was truly happy for her sake.

* * *

 

_"Heimdall? Open the Bifrost!"_

Hearing that call from that person after all this time felt good. He turned Hofund and watched the swirling lights. Several people stepped out. All but one were men. Thor of course immediately walked up to greet him.

"Heimdall, old friend. How fare Realm Eternal."

"She fares well but has missed her prince", the Watcher replied.

"Let me introduce my daughter, Thrúd." A blonde girl stepped forward, she eyed him rather unhappily before making a slight bow. Muttering something. "And this is Tony Stark. A man deemed worthy by Idun herself and someone close to my heart." The man gave a little wave, still looking around the observatory. He was a bit short and had weird facial hair.

"Hi, Tony Stark, Iron Man. Whole thing." Ah, one of the Prince's shield brothers then. Three more people had arrived with them. One looked eerily familiar. Like someone he knew...

"Your Highness?" Heimdall said in astonishment. "Prince Loki, is that truly you?" The youth tilted his head, there were no recognition in his eyes. He stepped closer to a big blonde man who placed a protective arm around his waist. "My prince?"

"Ah... Heimdall... that's not... this Loki is not..." Thor stumbled his words. "This is... Loki's reincarnation... he is no longer of Asgard..."

A surprising revelation. He wasn't surprised he had not known, hiding from his sight had always been the Trickster's wont. Still, it was unexpected to say the least. The Thunderer hurriedly introduced the other two before he started ushering them towards the bridge. Loki gave him a look over his shoulder. His green eyes unreadable. 

* * *

 

An entourage waited for them when they arrived at the palace. And seriously, what's up with all the gold? In the front stood Odin, dressed in a formal attire he was far more imposing than he had been on Earth. Beside him stood a regal and beautiful woman. Probably the queen. Other people were nearby as well. He could spot the four warriors who had previously visited the Tower. Thor actually knelt in front of his father before rising at his leave.

"Son, it is good to see you and your companions", the king said. "I welcome you all to Asgard. I especially welcome you, Thrúd, princess of Asgard." The girl managed a stiff bow. She had taken the punk a bit too far. 

"Tony Stark. Steve Rogers", the queen said. "My husband have told me of your generosity and good hearts. Loki. I know you no longer know me but my heart still see you as my son."

The god of mischief had an odd expression and took hold of Tony's sleeve. His eyes was fixed on a spot further down the road. "Kid?" The engineer murmured. Loki didn't seem to notice the outcry following the Queen's words.

"Skadi", the youth said. "She's here." Both Steve and Barnes took a protective position around the young god. 

"This is truly Loki?" A man said. "Truly? And not a trick?"

"I am Loki Stark, son of Yggdrasil", the teen snapped. "By the Norns grace."

"Like a vermin. No matter how many times you are killed you just can't stay dead." A tall woman, taller than anyone else present, stalked forward. She had a cruel smile on her lips, eyes glittering. "Loki of Jotunheim, the traitor. Loki of Asgard, the madman. And now you are Loki of what? Midgard? Among mortals. Loki the weak, perhaps."

Tony heard his son whimper, he wanted to reassure him but he couldn't get his tongue working. It seemed others had the same problem. Even the rest of his body refused to move as he wanted. Skadi, because who else could it be, had an evil grin.

"It will be my pleasure to kill you a third time, Vermin!" She threw something, a blade, but before it could strike it was intercepted. The sound from the shield echoed through the courtyard. Standing tall, Steve held his shield and was in front of the tiny Trickster. His blue eyes blazed. 

"I can do this all day."


	35. Chapter 35

He felt oddly calm as he matched the glare from the woman. There were anger, lots of it, but it was channelled into a sense of strength. Solidity. Behind him he could hear Loki's rapid breathing. The teen was scared and who could blame him. This woman had blood, his blood, on her hands.

"I can do this the whole day", he said. Shield steadily on his arm, stance relaxed yet ready.

"Move aside, mortal", Skadi sneered. "The Trickster is of no business to you."

"Quite the opposite. You are aiming to kill him. I won't allow that. Back down."

"If you don't move aside I will dispose of you as well."

"You can try but I won't let you hurt him."

"You would be willing to sacrifice your insignificant life to protect his? This rot on the universe?"

"Yes. But I won't let that happen either. Loki doesn't deserve to be alone, to suffer."

"Ha! This is hilarious. You have fallen for him, given him your heart. Be aware, he will crush it."

"He is my heart and my soul. For him I've accepted eternity. I will trust him no matter what."

Skadi did not like that. She rushed at him with a shriek. He kept his stance, using the shield to knock her backwards. In doing so he broke the spell that had made everyone immobile. Immediately weapons were drawn. Tony called his suit, Bucky held a gun and Thor had raised his hammer. Among the Aesir weapons were also drawn but the hostility was directed towards the Avengers more than towards the giantess. Several glared at Loki. Steve used his free arm to press the god to his chest, effectively protecting him behind his shield. 

"Enough", Odin called, trying to create order but no one listened to him. Then there were a bright light, blinding all present. Standing in the courtyard were three women. The very same who had brought the god of mischief back to life. It was the Norns.

"No more", they spoke. "No more."

* * *

 

Clutching Steve Loki felt faint, he was shaking and wanted to cry. Vaguely he was aware that the shouting had stopped. The strong arm squeezed in reassurance. He closed his eyes, relishing in their bond.

"No more", the chorus repeated. "The blood of the Trickster shall be not be spilled. He is the son of Yggdrasil. Child of the World Tree. No more shall he know torment."

Slowly the young god turned to see what was happening. He knew the Norns of course, they were the reason he was alive in this form. Skadi had gotten back up to her feet and many of the Aesir held weapons. Glaring at him. Some had a more troubled expression or straight up fearful.

"Why does that worm deserve your intervention?" the giantess hissed. "You should erase him from existance." A chill descended over the assembled crowd. 

"You presume much, Skadi of the Jotun", the Norns answered. "Question but refuse the answer. Skadi godkiller. You, who have caused the death of the Trickster twice and still demand Fate to bow to you."

"Great Norns", a man said while stepping forward. "I am Forsetti. Please, will you give us your wisdom?"

"God of justice", they said. "Your wisdom becomes you. Fear not, we will explain."

One of them stepped forward, bringing down her hood. She had a gauze over her eyes and looked aged. In her shadow Loki could see millennia stretch out behind her. Urd, goddess of the past. "The soul of the Trickster is as old as the Universe. He is chaos, he is change. Long has he suffered. Living lifetime after lifetime in loneliness and misery. The one once known as Loki of Jotunheim was killed for a crime he didn't commit. Named traitor for his loyalty. Dead, alone, in misery."

The next stepped forward, also lowering her hood. She looked a lot like Urd but significantly younger. Verdandi, goddess of the present. "Loki of Asgard. Prince, son, brother. Hated, despised and ridiculed. Loved, cherished and grieved. Tortured by the Mad Titan and murdered by those who demanded his loyalty while not giving theirs in turn. The hand was Suttung the traitor, the blade was Skadi of the Jotun and the tomb his people."

Lastly a young girl stepped forward. Skuld, goddess of the future. "Destiny has changed. Three new gods walk the cosmos. Each choosing their path, their journey side-by-side with the Trickster. As a father, as a lover and as a friend. They turned darkness into light. Loki of Yggdrasil do not walk alone. The god of mischief will suffer no more."

"May all know the truths that has been hidden and the crimes of eons past", they chorused before disappearing in a blinding light. Odin now stood before Skadi.

"Millennia ago you ripped my brother from my side due to an imagined slight, over a false accusation", he said grimly. "Only a few years past you conspired with a known traitor, killing my son, making his last moments filled with terror and pain. Now, on this day you attack welcomed guests of Asgard. Used your Seidr to render a boy defenceless and then attempting to kill him. A child of innocence with no crime to his name."

"Hardly defenceless, with that mortal over there", the giantess retorted. 

"He would be a poor god of protection if a spell like that could keep him still", Bucky said loudly. "You really should be more careful with who you piss off. Trying to hurt Loki was a huge mistake. One you won't make again."

"God", the word was repeated with disgust among the crowd. Skadi had a nasty expression. Few seemed to take the words seriously. 

"You dare question", Thor rumbled. "You dare doubt their worth? Idun herself gave these three her blessings. Gifting them the Golden Apple. Asgard has fallen if it only house such arrogance and wilful ignorance."

Silence fell over the courtyard. Loki sighed. Sometimes necessary things was the most painful. 

* * *

 

Entering the great hall a few days later Thrúd felt strangely nervous. Things had calmed down. Who dared go against the Norns? Skadi had been imprisoned, awaiting her trial. Njord, her husband, had not raised any kind of protest. Maybe he felt she deserved it. None of that had anything to do with her. Her cousin was safe, that was important, and no one wanted to challenge the humans. No, she had a different reason for coming to Asgard. Everything else had taken precedence but she had waited long enough. She wanted to meet her mother.

Sif sat at a table with three men, a warrior in every aspect. Armoured, armed and hair kept back by a ponytail. She was eating and drinking, exchanging words with her companions. Steeling herself the young goddess charged forward and plopped herself down at their table. They paused and stared at her. Attempting to seem nonchalant she began eating from the tray.

"Princess", a large, red-haired man greeted. Thrúd nodded in a regal manner. The other two men echoed him respectfully but lady Sif frowned. 

"Princess?" she said, looking the girl up and down. "Ah yes, Odin said something about that."

"Thor is my father", the goddess said quickly. Hoping her mother would make the connection but all she got was a blank stare. "Lady Sif... do you not know me?"

"Should I? I don't believe we have met. Nor have I heard of you until now."

" _Sif_ ", the blonde warrior said in a horrified voice. An expression mirrored by the others. Thrúd felt like crying. Trying to keep her composure she said as calmly as possible. 

"I'm your daughter. You are my mother. Surely you remember." The woman gave her an annoyed glare. She seemed to have remembered but wasn't pleased with it.

"I thought Freya adopted you", Sif said with disdain. "Loki insisted you should remain on Asgard and he almost convinced Thor. Thankfully Freya offered to take you so that I wouldn't have to live with the shame."

Her companions was looking at her like she had sprouted a second head. One that spit venom and breathed fire. Tears flowed from Thrúd's eyes. She had been so angry with her father. Feeling neglected. For so long she had been able to accept that her mother had abandoned her. But to hear herself being called a shame, unwanted, made something break within her. Not caring about how she looked she ran from the hall, through the corridors and didn't stop until she slammed the doors to her father's chamber shut. Thor looked up surprised, stopping with his tunic lifted, chest bare.

"Thrúd? Is everything well?" Sobbing she ran to her father, throwing her arms around him, wailing. He patted her awkwardly on the back but didn't force her to let go. Why had she hated him so much? At least he cared about her. "Daughter? What's is the matter?"

"Is... is... it true?" she sobbed. "That Uncle wanted me to stay here but my moth... Sif wanted me gone?" A large hand cupped her chin and gently lifted her gaze. Blue eyes looked at her with such gentleness and love that she cried even harder.

"My brother wanted you to stay because he believed in me. Told me I could be the father you needed. Saying I should be proud of you. And I wanted to try. Loki assured me he would help me and that our mother would as well. But Loki approving of me lead others to thinking the opposite. They began clamouring about me being to young and reckless. Sif was facing derision for a child out of wedlock and rejected you. In the end, it was simply deemed safer for you to be fostered by our mother's sister. I wish I had been a better father to you. But I never once wished you were not born."

He then held her close, murmuring gentle nothings and let her cry her heart out.

* * *

 

Thank all the powers in the universe that Thor's bedroom was separate from his living space. He was pretty sure he wasn't welcome in the situation on the other side of the door. Tony fiddled with a strange contraption he had found, using his still fresh powers to figure it out. A while later he heard a door open and close, moments later the god of thunder joined him on the bed. Again, Thor looked worn. Sad. Putting down the thing the engineer made his lover lay down. Head in his lap.

"Hey Big guy. You ok? Want to talk about it?"

"Nay, my love. I only wish to rest... this visit has been heart wrenching. First Loki and now Thrúd. Asgard seems to crush them, shredding them, and I can do nothing."

"No? Looked to me like you did plenty out there. She needed you and you stepped up. Sometimes that is enough."

"But my brother..."

"Is fine. I promise you that. I talked to him after everything and he was level-headed about it. He has Steve with him. Not to mention Barnes. You don't have to carry the world on your shoulders you know."

"I wish I had your strength Tony." The god rose enough so that he could pull both of them down properly on the bed. Then he nuzzled the inventor and kissed him. They might have done more but somehow Tony knew that their conversation shouldn't end just yet.

"Have you ever heard about Atlas?"

"Is that not what you call maps on Earth?"

"Well, yes but the name comes from Greek mythology. Atlas was a Titan who fought in a war against the gods of Olympus together with other Titans. When they lost Atlas was placed under a curse. He was forced to hold up the sky, carrying its weight so that the world would not be crushed. In some versions he carries the whole world. Even a god would be crushed under such weight and Atlas is forced to carry it till the end of time. I don't know if it is true or not, might be or almost true. Point is. You are not Atlas. And you don't have to be. The curse of carrying the world is not on your shoulders. You are allowed to be vulnerable. To feel weak and powerless. Because when we need you, you will always be there."

And if Thor followed his daughter's example and bawled like a baby, well, no one else was around to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to Greek mythology there was a war between the Titans and the Greek gods. Leading the Titans were Kronos, the lord of time. Who at one point ate the gods who then spent eons in his stomach because they couldn't die. Atlas was his general and as a punishment for fighting against the gods he was tasked with holding the sky. The expression "Carry the world on your shoulders" originated with this myth.  
> Kronos was also the father of Chiron, a kentaur who according to the myths trained several great heroes. For example Persius, Thersius and Herakles. We normally used the Roman name for Herakles, Hercules, even in Greek context. Herakles was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. The name means "For Hera". Hera was the queen of Olympus and wife to Zeus. She hated any mortal woman who caught her husband eyes.
> 
> They were also siblings... Greek mythology is weird... Norse mythology makes sense in comparison...
> 
> If you like mythology I highly recommend reading the books by Rick Riordan. Starting with "The lightning bolt thief". But avoid the movie... it has basically only the name in common...


	36. Chapter 36

The shouting match between Thor and Sif were spectacular and very public. Meaning they started screaming at each other in the feast hall the night before they would return to Earth. Bucky watched with a certain amount of detachment while enjoying the mead. He hadn't felt a buzz in years. Looking fairly mortified were Thrúd who were the subject of the heated and loud argument. Apparently Sif had repeatedly rejected her daughter, refusing to talk to her or let her come near. This had made the girl depressed and despondent. All she wanted was to know more about the woman who gave birth to her. Understandably the Thunderer were pissed. He could accept the female warrior stepping down from her role as a mother, but to treat their daughter as filth, that he refused to allow.

"You have caused enough grief and damage", he shouted. "You are a selfish, self-occupied pretender of a warrior. The most foul beast has more honour than you."

"How dare you? I have earned my place as a warrior. Unlike you who ran away because you were feeling sad."

"I could turn that back on you, Sif. How dared you mock and ridicule my brother? How dared you defy and betray your king? How dare you make light of my brother's murder? And  _how dare you hurt our daughter_. You are despicable. Did you think you would still become queen? Did you think I would disown my own child or view her as an inconvenience? That she would not be my heir?"

"She's a bastard, there is no way she may ascend to the throne."

"That decision is not yours to make. I have claimed her, that's enough. You won't go near her or any of my family again. If you do, I will have you banished to Vanaheim."

"I serve Asgard, serve the king. Don't make empty threats Thor."

"And as a subject to her king you can approach him. But anything beyond that will not be acceptable." Thor swung on his heels, making his mantle billow dramatically and stormed off. Thrúd looked fairly gleeful at the furious expression on her mother's face. Far louder than she needed, clearly on purpose, she asked her father.

"Father, why don't you marry Tony? That would make me legitimate and he is clearly the one for you." The genius inventor choked on his ale at her words. His coughing echoing in the sudden silence. Odin and Frigga was of course completely calm, they had been told shortly after the arrival and had given their blessings. All eyes were on Sif who was livid. Eyes burning with sudden hatred she made to storm up to him but Tony was quicker. With a whip like throw he made a device fly through the air and caught the female warrior in a high-energy net. Making her freeze mid-step.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you", he drawled. "You are already on the naughty list after your unprovoked attack on my kid in my Tower. I don't really need much of a reason to chuck you over that fancy bridge of yours. I understand it is a long, unpleasant fall."

The dark-haired woman struggled against her invisible chains. Eyes still flaring angrily. "And that was before you started treating your own kid like garbage to throw in the trash. Trust me, you don't want to push your luck."

"You are a mere mortal", Sif gritted out. "Unworthy."

"Sorry hun but I believe you are actually more mortal than I am", a shit-eating grin stretched his lips. "I have been made the god of invention and innovation. I'm Tony effing Stark, Iron Man and billionaire extraordinaire. Let this go and you will be fine. Push and things will end poorly for you. I've survived against all odds while being only human, mortal. Don't test me. Don't fight against me."

Tony refusing to release her and stating the field would disappear after they had left was kind of petty. But Bucky could admit that there was a poetic justice to it and oh so satisfying. That the king and queen then stood to officially give their blessings made it even better.

* * *

 

He closed the last of the boxes and looked around in the room he had called home until now. Without all the clutter it looked empty, like no one had lived there. The move to the facility upstate had been in progress for a while now. Larger space, better utilization of the area. It would also allow the newcomers to fit in better. A knock made him look up. Steve stood in the doorway, watching him with a soft smile on his face.

"Liam is here, you guys agreed to hang out right?"

"Yeah, he's going to a college in California so we won't see each other as much", Loki said and stood, walking over. At the approximate age of twenty the god was now only an inch or so shorter than his lower. Tony had promised they would get to share apartment at the facility. "We want to hang out in New York before going our separate ways."

"You can just teleport to see him. A blink away", the soldier said. A warm hand caressed the god's cheek. They leaned forward and pressed their lips together. "You should get going. See you in the evening."

Liam was waiting in the former common area, making faces at aunt Nat's toddler. The girl was utterly adorable and looked at the world with the wonder of the very young. She giggled at the black man. Bruce was sitting nearby, keeping an eye on his daughter. As Loki joined them his friend stood and they did a "bro hug" while laughing about it.

"Where's Dad?" he asked the scientist.

"He and Thor took a quick trip to Asgard, Thrúd will spend some time with her grandparents. They should be back before the move."

"Heimdall can put them down upstate if there is need. Ready to go?"

" I'd say that's my question. Have a good day Doctor Banner", Liam waved a last time at the girl and they headed out. They didn't do much. After walking for a while they found a nice cafe and sat down with a beverage. "Finally making the move, huh?"

"Yep. I think it will be nice, you know, to have more open space."

"I believe you. I'm just grateful to your dad for giving me a scholarship. Without it I wouldn't be able to go to Uni. So, I've heard there are some new superheroes joining you guys. Is, like the spider guy with you?"

"Spider-Man? Yep. He is giving Dad a heart attack with how reckless he can be. Apparently the guy is just a kid. We have a few others as well. It is pretty neat. There is even one kid who has magic. She is kind of cool."

"Dude, it is still so cool that you live with superheroes."

"And gods. Never forget that."

"Ha! How can I forget with you being one!" They laughed and started chatting about more mundane things. When they had said their farewells Loki began walking back to the Tower. He could have teleported but felt like taking a stroll. The echoes from his former lives had been quiet for almost a year now. Everyday he spent that he could say he had felt happy marked another day when his fate moved further from the darkness. It was not that he lived in constant bliss. Sometimes there were arguments. Disagreements. Tears and accusations. Even Steve and he got into rows at times when they got worked up. But they usually made up shortly afterwards, apologising and working things out. Loki becoming more of an adult had been an important milestone in the Tower. With that he no longer had to handle the label of being a kid. His lover felt more comfortable with showing his less than pristine traits without fearing that anyone would use the Trickster as an excuse.

The move was in full swing when he returned. Trucks was being loaded with boxes and furniture. He could spot a Quinjet high above, taking care of Avengers geer and other more classified things. Standing at the trucks, clipboard in her hand, were Pepper Potts. She and Tony had reconciled somewhat over the years. Loki was pretty sure though that she was secretly disappointed that his dad didn't leave Thor and went back to her. How she imagined she could compete with a god was a mystery. Steve stood in the lobby and smiled upon seeing him.

"Hey, had a nice day?"

"Yeah, it was nice. We will see each other again of course but still nice."

"Good", the soldier embraced him gently and kissed him. Public displays of affection had become more frequent from his lover. With all likelihood he no longer felt guilt about having a younger lover. Loki was after all no longer a teenager, so now he seemed determined to make his claim clear instead. Maybe Wanda eyeing him had something to do with it. Well, she was cute, kind of like a chihuahua. Small, loud and a big personality. 

"Are we going to wait for the movers to finish or can we go ahead?" the god asked.

"We can leave if we want. There is no one there at the moment though. Bruce and Natasha already left with Betty, it is a long drive after all."

"Not with my way. And if no one is there yet..."

Steve chuckled and squeezed him a bit. A moment later they stood in their new apartment in the Avengers facility. Tony had went out of his way to make it feel comfortable and home like. They even had there own little garden and patio.

"This is nice", the soldier said. "Maybe we can get a dog later. One who likes to run." Loki had not given up on convincing his lover to have children one day but he figured with millennia at his disposal he didn't have to rush anything. In the meantime a dog  _would_ be nice.

"I think either a Husky or a Border Collie", he said, leaning against Steve as they sat down on a hammock in their little garden. "I've read that Border Collies are the most intelligent breed on Earth. With us running it would be able keep up and get the exercise it needs."

"You could teach it a lots of tricks as well", the blonde agreed. "Then one day our son or daughter will be able to play with the dog." Blinking Loki eyed him.

"Our son or daughter?"

"Well you've said you want a kid someday and seeing this it suddenly feel feasible. We don't have to rush anything but there is no need to panic either if it happened unexpectedly."

"Steve Rogers, you are the most amazing person I know. I love you with every fibre of my being and of my soul."

"I could say the same right back at you, Loki Stark. There is no one I rather spend eternity with."

In the fading evening lights they shared a soft, sweet kiss. At peace. And happy. 

_**The End.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this story. As promised there will be a stinger from an original story of mine after this. If you are not interested I will just say thank you for reading. Everyone who commented, you are awesome. Thanks for all the Kudos. The next story I have planned will be named "Our path is crooked". It will be a fair bit darker than my previous works. You have been warned.


	37. Extra: The Stormborn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this will be part of a story that I have created from scratch. I haven't actually written anything of it down until now but I have played with it. If you enjoy it please leave a comment 😙

_This is the Stormborn. People who were born in the midst of the greatest storm of that time, gifted with aspects of the storm. Wind, rain and lightning. In long lost stories the Stormborn was once revered but their nature a mystery. Drawing strenght from that which their powers originated from. The Storm Bringer can call the winds to his bidding, gaining strength from the air around him. Storm Maker has the ability to call rain and control water. In ancient times he was worshipped for his ability to make the earth fertile. Then there is the Storm Rider, the one who calls upon lightning. Back in the day the Storm Rider was the weakest of the three, only gaining power during thunderstorms. In our modern society with its constant use of electricity he would become extremely powerful and able to use everything around him to his advantage._

_There are some stories claiming that there is a fourth Stormborn known as the Eye of the Storm. The stories are however vague as to the purpose and powers of the Eye._

_\- Richard Taylor_

 

* * *

 

[ **Karen Dale is the newly appointed Chief of police in Storm City. Due to being the home of many embassies and company headquarters high profile crimes are common. On her first day she is introduced to John Taylor, the son of a famous researcher. Despite his seemingly clumsy nature she soon learn he his intelligent and an excellent detective. She also discovers that there is a man who walks the line between a vigilante and a thief. Called the Storm Rider the man steals highly classified documents and dangerous information. Since some of the information are later used to expose businessmen and politicians the public is divided. Few of those who loose their documents ever report it to the police. Fearing the police seeing them more than losing them.** ]

* * *

 

Dragging the mayor from the stage Karen felt her heart beat painfully. The car crashed through the wood moments later. Slowed only slightly the driver started the car towards them. Graduates from the police academy scattered and some tried to reach for a gun. When the mayor stumbled and lost his footing, draging her down with him she knew it was over. The car was coming at full speed, determined to run them over.

What happened next was beyond her comprehension. Suddenly the car was flying sideways, a man in mid-jump or mid-landing had somehow kicked the slick Ford out of the way. She stared at him. He was tall and muscular, wearing a black jacket, pants with several straps also in black and a pair of strange goggles. On his hand he wore fingerless gloves. Karen couldn't see his eyes, the only thing that stood out among his features were his blonde hair. With a chill she realise who the man had to be. Storm Rider.

Men were climbing out of the totalled Ford, thugs by the look of them. Walking towards them the man said nothing even as they drew their guns. In a second the Storm Rider was in motion. Thin lines, cables, shoot out from his hands as he ran forward, wrapping around limbs. Electricity sparked from the cables, knocking the thugs out. When he got closer the mysterious man used his fists instead. Using what looked like martial arts to take them out.

The green was by now in chaos. People running in all directions. Officers trying to resume control while also trying to keep the civilians safe. Still shaking from her brush with death Karen flinched when the vigilante passed her. Not looking at her he walked up to the now ruined stage. After searching the area he picked up a suitcase and took out several documents, fanning them.

"Acquisition of the documents confirmed", he said. His voice low, unexpectedly soft still reached her. "What do you want me to do with them?"

Was he reporting to someone? How? Using what technology. She had already learned that technology tended to malfunction in his presence. It was why there were no recording of him that had a clear picture. Interference made them blurry or warped. Helping the mayor up she felt fear mingling with anger. The Storm Rider was there to steal. Not help. On the other hand, he didn't have to save them. He could have ignored them completely and get what he came for. In fact, without his timely intervention she would be dead.

Just then the documents were shredded by a current of electricity climbing up the man's hand to his fingertips. For a second it seemed like he turned to look at her then he was gone.

* * *

 

"Morning, Chief. I heard about the graduation ceremony. You'kay?" John Taylor greeted her with his usual jovial tone but had an expression of real concern. With brown hair and brown eyes he was plain, not someone who drew attention. Then again the man had made it into an art to be beneath notice. By, as ge put it, make people view him as insignificant. He managed to overhear a lot of conversation simply because people choose to not take notice of his presence. 

"I'm fine, Taylor. It could have been much worse but I barely have a scratch. How's your case coming along?"

Before he could answer they heard a commotion over at the intake area. Sighing Karen stood and walked down to see what was happening. An uniformed officer was keeping a teenage boy seated rather forcefully. The boy clearly had Asian ancestry and was struggling with the officer. As she stepped closer the man saluted her.

"What's the problem here?" she said.

"Ma'am, this kid was caught shoplifting a game and he refuse to tell me his parents telephone number", the officer said.

"I did not..." the boy began only to be pressed to the bench roughly, glaring at the man restraining him. This was usually a case for the Juvenile group.

"Kai? Is that you?" Taylor stood in the hallway looking in. He seemed concerned and his eyes flickered to the officer holding down the boy.

"John!" Jumping up the teen rushed to the detective before anyone could stop him. The two spoke in some foreign language for a minute or two. Taylor frowned. 

"He says you accused of shoplifting but he has a receipt for the game", he said. "The store owner should have known that as well."

"He didn't show me  receipt..."

"Did you give him a chance?" The tone was deceptively pleasant. Dale considered interfering but Taylor was not really the aggressive type. Besides, he had a point. The kid showed his receipt, pouting because he had no game. It had been returned to the store. Understandable but also against proper procedure. She sent the officer back to retrieve the game in question and to give the store a warning regarding false accusations. Behind her the teen and the detective had spoken softly to each other.

"So how do you know each other?" she asked casually. 

"Chief, this is Kai Kaminari", Taylor replied. "His father was a good friend of mine. He is from Japan but is currently living here in the US."

"Was?"

"He and my mother was killed five years ago", Kai was the one who answered. "They accidentally drew the interest of the Triad."

"Could he wait here? I can call someone to pick him up?"

"Sure, whatever."

* * *

 

Making a quick call John gave Kai a glance. Despite his youth the boy was a genius to the same degree as his father. He got a reassuring nod in return. Good. Everytime something like this happened he would start to feel jittery. No one was allowed to cause Kai harm. That was what he had promised himself. They waited in silence. After a while the teen fished out a game console to play with. Finally he heard the unmistakable voice. 

"I am looking for John Taylor", the French accent was thick, thicker than it naturally was. Jaquin Leaubeau was dressed in his usual flamboyance, drawing inspiration from the 19th century with some modern touches. High boots, top hat, frills and so on. It was intentional of course, nothing the man did was by accident if he could help it. Nor did he care about what other thought of his effeminate behaviour. He also carried his umbrella.

"Ah, there you are Taylor. Good. Vhere iz the boi?"

"Right over here Jaq." John gestured and Kai joined them. "You was told what happened?"

"Oui, scandeleux. Poor boi, let uz go 'ome non?"

"Kai? For the time being, don't venture out on your own. I will look into this. Alright." Thankfully the teen nodded, understanding that they were concerned for his safety.

"I vill tell Nicolaj az vell, au revoir."

"See you later."

On his way back to his desk he looked up at the greying sky. Another storm. The Storm Valley was famous for their frequency. His father had believed this was why so many of the Stormborn had been born within the tribes of the valley. There were static in the air, a thunderstorm then. Just like when he had been born. He should probably go give a warning. Violent storms could cause a lot of property damage without time to take precautions. His colleagues knew he somehow could predict storms but none of them could possibly guess why.

After all, the easiest way to hide was to make yourself not worthy of notice. And who could possibly associate the clumsy John Taylor, plain and normal, with the Storm Rider. They were not even the same height. Little could they know that the Storm Rider was his true identity. Maybe one they would know that all he was trying to do was preventing war. But that didn't matter. Not really.

"Hey, Carl? I think there is going to be another storm. Pretty big this time. Can you send out the warning?"

"Sure thing Taylor. Can you storm check the building?"

"I will do so immediately."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Profiles:
> 
> John Taylor, 25  
> Storm Rider  
> Controls lightning and electricity.   
> American citizen   
> Son of Richard Taylor, founder of the Storm Raisers that act as a support for the Stormborn. The organisation consists of many different people and has no association with other organisation. Operates in secret.
> 
> Jaquin Leaubeau, 23  
> Storm Maker  
> Controls water and can make it rain.  
> French citizen  
> Operates mostly in the Middle East and focus on sabotaging attempts to build nuclear weapons and similar. Has a flair for theatrics.
> 
> Nicolaj Kowalski, 23  
> Storm Bringer  
> Controls air and can create winds.  
> Russian citizen   
> Was born during a heavy storm with strong winds that killed his parents when their house collapsed. Grew up in an orphanage until Richard Taylor brought him to the United States. He utilises his powers with the help of a glider that allows him to fly and create strong whirlwinds.  
> Operates mostly in Eastern Europe and South America. 
> 
> Kai Kaminari, 17  
> Eye of the Storm  
> Can dampen and boost the power of other Stormborn. His purpose is a mystery.  
> Japanese citizen   
> Was born during a hurricane the very moment its eye came to rest above their house. His father was an inventor working with the Storm Raisers. The crime syndicate the Triad tried to recruit him, when he refused they murdered him and his wife. Kai has lived in America ever sense.
> 
>  
> 
> That's it folks. See you in the next story.


End file.
